#shenanigans. you wouldn’t know what impacts his character besides when he’s around his friends and his most manic depressive episode ever

[starlooove]

TIM???? MIDDLE CLASS???? THE BITCH GREW UP IN A MANSION AND WENT TO BOARDING SCHOOL OVERSEAS????? THAT AINT MIDDLE CLASS????

LITERALLLY AND I KNOW THIS STARTED ON TWITTER MADE ITS WAY TO TUMBLR AND I JUST SAW IT ON TIKTOK LIKE…

[fanficmaniatic]

The "Anti-Chat" Theory.

(Which is also why Chat Blanc 2.0 wont work and why Ladybug needs to be akumatized).

This is a turducken on my thoughts for S4 and the future of the show so just roll with it.

So, Season 4 has been wild so far, and if clues given by the writers and people involved in show are any indication, this is only the beginning, we are in for a bumpy ride and things are just going to keep getting worse.

In all the discourse revolving season 4 something that we are all mentioning is how “Chat Blanc” is still a thing and there is no guarantee it won’t happen again. If anything it now seems more likely Chat Noir will get akumatized considering the imminent Ladynoir fallout, and how Adrien is still living with his Father, as his isolation keeps getting worse. And though I am always In for some good Character angst, and I feel like it is necessary for Adrien to know about Chat Blanc, and/or for Chat Blanc to reappear, I don’t think Chat Blanc 2.0 is something Adrien nor the show needs right know.

This theory has many parts, I promise it all ties neatly at the end.

First things first, I may be a little biased, Chat Blanc is an episode I really enjoy. I love Time Travel shenanigans, and I was dying to see Adrien finally find out about his father. The heavy consequences of the episode were obviously erased, but the impact of it all still remains trough Marinette, whom we see in the episode ‘Sentibbubler’ is having nightmares about the whole thing. But still, I love the episode, and I really don’t want an “Stormy Weather 2”… which is an episode I heavily dislike, compared to THE BEST formulaic episode of the Whole show, a.k.a “Stormy Weather” a.k.a My favorite episode. So yeah, this whole first point is just me REALLY not wanting an episode called “Chat Blanc 2.0” But there is more to it, and is the fact that I don’t see how it could work out.

“Chat Blanc 2.0” is unnecessary, and the reason why is that bringing him back wouldn’t actually do anything besides perhaps bringing Ladynoir further apart. Ladybug still CAN’T know Chat noir’s identity, (Let’s be honest and admit that’s prolly s4 finale OR happening during s5) so the show would go out of its way to make his dialogue as plain as possible without mentioning his father being hawkmoth. And yes, I do realize that Chat has been bottling his emotions and it all is likely to come out during THE ladynoir fall out… But people are ignoring the elephant in the room which is that Chat Noir DOES NOT fight Ladybug.

I promise this is relevant.

Chat Noir, unless mind controlled, would never attack Ladybug. The most clear example of this is in “Gamer 2.0” when he straight up says “I could never bring myself to fight you” as he sacrifices himself for her, that added to their classic “Is us against the world, My Lady” every season finale, and Marinette’s “In case something happens to me” In ‘Optygami’, it all could pretty well be a foreshadowing of a Ladynoir fight, where Ladybug is akumatized, and Chat has to willingly fight her. Yes, one could argue that he did fight her during ‘Chat Blanc’, but it could also be read as more of him trying to make her listen.

Where am I going with this? Chat Blanc 2.0 would be unable to bring the nuance the story needs right now. Chat Blanc still wouldn’t fight his father, because I doubt they won’t leave that for season 5. Chat Blanc still doesn’t have a motive to actually fight Ladybug. But the most important part is… What would happen at the end? What would be the change? What conversation are we having? What would be different than what we got in the original Chat Blanc?

To be fair, maybe I am wrong, maybe it can work out, this is just a theory. Maybe all the things I crossed out as impossible will actually happen, but I have been watching the show for 6 years, and If I have learned something about it, is that it is a slow burn, in ALL the aspects.

So yes, I believe Ladybug/Marinette needs to be akumatized, but I also think that Adrien has to learn about Chat Blanc, and that Chat Blanc needs to reappear, having a bigger Role than just a nightmare. So… how does that tie with everything I just said? Easy, the “Anti- Chat” Theory’

So you probably remember “Anti-Bug”, one of the best episodes from season 1, where Chole tries to help Ladybug, she doesn’t listen, and Chloe ends up being akumatized into “Ladybug but evil” … In theory, that is the deal, and is no wonder I am picking Felix Graham De Vanily to fill this role.

From an animation perspective, Felix is the obvious choice, he is identical to Adrien, and if following Anti-bug’s logic in costume desing, that would mean they can reuse Chat Blanc model with no alteration needed.

Now, How would this work? By giving Ladybug a jump scare. She thinks she has to live one of her worst nightmares again, to then find out “Oh… This is not Chat Noir” while still creating enough tension, by looking scared and distraught, that she HAS to tell him that she is scared of him being akumatized WITHOUT actually needing to mention the alternative timeline. This gives Chat noir the chance to lash out, once he realizes this is part of why ladybug is keeping him away, which can lead to Ladybug’s future akumatization.

Why this way? And please hear me out. Chat Noir NEEDS to let his emotions out, and I don’t think lashing out at ladybug is the best way but I see it as necessary. Adrien needs to take on more responsibility while being Chat, but he also needs to learn how to healthy express his emotions, because he is not allowed to do that in his current situation. Ladybug being akumatized because she feels guilty about Chat Noir allows Adrien to do BOTH. Because to save Ladybug he would have to realize “My emotions are valid, and is okey to let them out, but the way I did it was not the right one”, and both Ladybug and Chat Noir would have to apologize because this whole thing is not miscommunication… is a misunderstanding of their partners character. Ladybug needs to relay more on Chat and Chat needs to take on more responsibility… it won’t happen if Ladybug is the one that needs to save Chat Noir.

Adrien needs to realize that he needs to save himself, and that there’s people outside of his father that care for him. Ladybug is this figure that he looks up to and Admires, and is from a side of his life that his father has no control over, (At least from his perspective). So if she forgives him, if they are able to fix their relationship he will realize that things can get better.

Now, going back to Anti-Chat… his deal is way bigger than just bringing The Ladynoir fight… Is about setting up seasons 6 and 7.

What do we know so far? The Love Square and Gabriel’s Hawkmoth is going to come to an end by season 5. Which has left many fans wondering “Then what is happening on seasons 6 and 7?” And the best answer we have so far is in the episode “Timetagger” where Bunnix reveals that there is a whole team of miraculous holders fighting the Hawkmoth of the future, which is by the same episode confirmed to not be Gabriel Agreste. Besides this, I think it is safe to assume that the specials are quietly setting up themes that could come back In seasons 6 and 7.

Now, when speaking about characters that could be future villains the fandom seems to have its collective mind set on two individuals: Lila Rossi, and Felix Graham De Vanily.

Besides ‘Rocketear’, (E17), ‘Wishmaker’ (E18), and the special ’Shadow Moth’s last attack’ (Eps 25&26) we don’t know the names of the episodes of the second half of the season, which is really uncommon for miraculous ladybug, and the reason they gave us as to why is “You would know who is akumatized based on the names”… Which AGAIN, is really uncommon for ML. If you have been in this fandom for a long time you’ll realize that most people working in the show don’t really seem to care about spoilers. Now, this is kinda a conspiracy theory, but If you saw that there was an episode called “Anti-Chat” would you have assume it was any one other than Felix?…. No, right? That’s what I though. Miraculous has proven that it is good at subverting expectations, so when they are pointing at something (like a Chat Blanc 2.0 episode) it may not be as we want or suspected it to be. So I think an Anti-Chat episode makes a lot of sense.

Now, Why am I saying that this can set up future season? Buckle up, pals, here we go. What do we know about Felix?

He is evil, or at the very least seems to be ill-intentioned, if his attitude and look at the end of his episode is anything to go by.

He is after jewelry. Which, yeah, was only shown in that one episode he appeared, but this could pretty much be a foreshadowing of him later on going after the miraculous.

We know that he is bound to appear 3 more times

For this theory to work, I need it to happen in episode 22… Yes, the feared 100th episode of the show. It is not as important why Felix is akumatized, but what is happening WHILE he is akumatized.

Besides what has already been discussed, with Ladybug being scared, Ladynoir should not be able to work together. They are tumbling on each other because Chat Noir feels like she doesn’t trust him, but Ladybug NEEDS his reassurance right now, which he wont give.

This, is directly parallel with what is happening between Anti-Chat and Shadow Moth. Because Felix, even though he wants the miraculous, he won’t let himself be bossed around. He is demanding things from SM, and like in Robustus, Anti-Chat tries to, not just take Ladybug’s and Chat noir’s Miraculous, he wants to destroy Hawkmoth too. Which will lead to Shadow Moth being the reason he gets de-akumatized, instead Ladybug and Chat Noir saving him... bringing more fuel to the Ladynoir fire.

Now, Why should Felix have an attitude with Shadow Moth? Well, my friends… Do you remember, years ago, when the producers of the show said “The peacock miraculous holder will make Hawkmoth look like a baby”…. That’s not Mayura. Nathalie is a great miraculous holder, and she is really clever. But instead of making Gabriel look like a baby, she makes him look smart because he has someone like her on his team. What I am saying with this is that Felix, will suspect/ figure out Gabriel is Hawkmoth at the en of Anti-Chat, and that he will get the peacock miraculous during “The Last attack of Shadow Moth.” Thus, setting up a villain for future seasons.

This makes Felix 3 appearances be: In episode 22 (Anti-Chat), In episode 26 (SM last attack, part 2), and during S5’s finale. Felix situation will be much like Lila’s during s1 and s2 where she was introduced at the end of the first but not used until the end of the second.

Conclusion:

Felix Graham de Vanily has the potential to be a future villain and bring the Ladynoir conflict to finally surface.

And to clarify, The Ladynoir conflict, just like this Felix theory, is not something that will, nor can get resolved in one episode. If anything the fight will be around the end of season 4, and it will get resolved during season 5.

But again, this is just a theory, and I will probably be death wrong, but who knows?

[oswildin]

An Old Face, An Old Foe, And A Crush ~ Dhawan!Master x F!Reader

Request: Y/N accidentally ends up travelling with Eleven, a Doctor that she travelled with years ago, threw shenanigans. They meet O during an adventure and she immediately pulls him aside like “Oi, dickhead. I know it’s you” and he’s all confused and playing innocent until he drops the act but she can’t reveal to The Doctor that it’s The Master without breaking the timeline so it’s just the two of them arguing whilst trying to avoid Eleven. ( @giantolivia )

Summary: (Y/N) travels with Eleven again, she hasn’t seen him in years... They bump into someone from (Y/N)‘s past and the Doctor’s future...

Warning: Bickering, Angst, All things good and pure.

Y/N had travelled with The Doctor for a long time. She didn’t know how she’d managed to survive for that long, or put up with his antics for that long either, but she had. She had to watch him go through the most pain she’d ever witnessed someone go through, losing friends, everyone around him dying, the loss of his planet... and the regaining of it.

It was like a rollercoaster with him. She liked to think she knew him extremely well, but with each Doctor it’s different. She had to relearn their expressions, their troubles... She knew they were the same person but each regeneration came with new worries and fears.

(Y/N) wasn’t there when his twelfth regeneration changed. He had decided it was best she left the TARDIS and him. After losing Clara, he became scared to lose her too. The one person who had been there through years of his travelling. So, she was a little confused when a woman appeared at her flat door, acting like nothing had happened and that she should know who she was. It took a little minute before (Y/N) recognised her. It was The Doctor.

Instead of staying on the TARDIS this time round, (Y/N) would go home after their adventures. She felt it was healthier for her. After having some time away she finally was able to work on herself. Her life didn’t revolve around the Doctor anymore.

They had just had a run in with the Master, who was pretending to be a special Agent for MI6. (Y/N) had run into the Master previously, with her travels with twelve, but they were different then... They were almost... Good? But not really... it was hard to explain. Whereas this regeneration was hellbent on killing the Doctor and her companions.

(Y/N) woke up early one morning to loud knocking on her door. She groaned as she wondered who it could be. She wasn’t impressed to have to be up at such an ungodly hour. She threw on a cardigan as she headed towards her door, sleepily. She yawned as she unlocked it, swinging it open to see who on Earth was disturbing her beauty sleep.

“(Y/N)!”

(Y/N)‘s eyes widened at the sight of an old face. She looked confused but also felt happiness seeing the person she started her travels with, the one person she could count on.

“Doctor...” She whispered, seeing the bow-tie wearing Doctor grinning madly at her. She instantly reached out, pulling him in for a hug. He was shocked at first but gave her a hug back.

“You only saw me a few hours ago!” He exclaimed as he laughed lightly, pulling away from the tight hug. “Did you grab what you needed to get?”

Realisation dawned on her. He got the wrong time. She rolled her eyes. Classic Doctor. She dragged him inside as she shut the door behind them.

“You idiot.” She told him. “It’s 2019.” She told him as realisation also dawned on him. He began to stare off into the distance.

“Right...” He muttered. “Did think you looked a little different.” He commented as she folded her arms.

“Be careful where you’re going with that comment.” She warned playfully as he smirked at her.

“Well... seeing as I have once again messed up, can’t really blame the TARDIS this time. You may as well assist me in my adventure.” He told her happily. “Like the good old days!” He cried. “For you at least, I only saw you a few hours ago.” (Y/N) smiled at him as he went to pull her with him.

“Wait! I’m not going out like this!” She gestured to her PJ’s and messy hair. He rolled his eyes.

“You have clothes on the TARDIS, remember?” She paused before nodding:

“Oh yeah.”

The Doctor filled her in on the readings he had picked up in London. Always London. It appeared as though alien technology had been used around the MI6 headquarters. (Y/N) had made herself look presentable as she strolled back into the console room. The ship finally landed as they stepped outside, guns aimed at them by guards as they quickly held their hands up in a surrender.

“It’s ok. They’re with me.”

(Y/N) recognised the voice instantly. She looked over to see none other than... O... Well, the Master. She narrowed her eyes at the man, before the Doctor smiled at him. The guards lowered their guns as they began to back off.

“Apologies for the rude welcome.” O told them both as the Doctor shook his hand, rather excitedly.

“Oh don’t worry! That was probably one of the nice welcomes to be honest.” The Doctor told him. “Think the worst welcome I’ve had was from her.” He gestured to (Y/N) as she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Right. Well.” O raised his brows, smiling slightly. “Thank you for coming, Doctor. I’m Agent O.” He turned to give (Y/N) a hand shake as she tightly smiled, reluctantly shaking his hand.

“I bet you are.” She muttered just loud enough for him to hear. He looked confused at her words before leading them to an office.

The Doctor was scanning the room with the sonic as (Y/N) approached O. He was sat at the desk as she leant forwards, resting her hands on the wood.

“I know who you are.”

She told him lowly, knowing the Doctor couldn’t know. It was his future, her past. Now she knew how River felt. O raised a brow, pretending to act confused.

“I’m sorry?” He questioned, leaning forwards in his chair.

“Little Agent O... befriending the Doctor... Trying to take down the Earth.” She whispered as he proceeded to not know what she was talking about. “Don’t play dumb, Master.” She hissed as his eyes widened slightly, his expression darkening for a moment.

“Right! I think I may have found where the readings are coming from!”

The Doctor interrupted them as he noted how close they were to each other. He smirked slightly as he proceeded with his explanation.

Whilst the Doctor was off doing something, The Master grabbed (Y/N) by the throat, shoving her against a wall. She gasped at the sudden impact as he glared down at her. O’s once kind eyes turning angry.

“How do you know who I am...” He asked, his eyes narrowing. She smiled slightly, despite the situation. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her anyway, he couldn’t, not with the Doctor about and him playing undercover.

“Let’s just say, we kick your butt in the future.” She taunted him as he growled.

“Where did I go wrong?” He asked threateningly. “You will tell me, or you will die.” She laughed lightly.

“That’s where you’re wrong... you can’t kill me. If you kill me, there’s a risk of blowing your cover...” She smirked. “And a risk of you altering the timelines in the future, meaning something may drastically change and screw up your plans even more.” He sneered before releasing her. She got back her breath as the Doctor poked his head round the corner.

“You guys coming or what?!” He exclaimed, noticing the pair out of breath. He smirked once again, wondering what on Earth they could’ve been up to. (Y/N) sent him a look that clearly read ‘fuck you’ as she followed the Doctor, leaving the Master to compose himself, falling back into O’s character.

“Okay! So! Plan!” The Doctor exclaimed, clapping his hands. “Looks like you have an infestation of cybermats in your network. Which means we need to find the hive, destroying it so we can’t stop them. They’re collecting information, and where better to get information than MI6.” He explained, as (Y/N) listened intently.

“But why didn’t they just sent in the big guns?” She asked. “I mean, Cybermen usually just go in headfirst, convert the humans yada yada, but what do they need information for?” The Master was actually impressed at the human asking the right questions. Not that he would ever admit that. She turned, sending a glare his way as the Doctor began to look at blueprints of the building.

“Good point.” He told her. “Perhaps their planning something bigger... Something more than just converting anything and everything that isn’t Cyber.” He finally found what he was looking for. “There! We need to get down there.” O looked at the map.

“You need clearance for that.” He told him as the Doctor stared at him.

“Good thing we’ve got it then.” He showed O his physic paper as (Y/N) smirked, the three of them heading underground.

“Why don’t you have clearance?” (Y/N) questioned O as she raised a brow. “Not trustworthy enough?” He bit his tongue, as the Doctor looked at the pair. He had noticed the tension between them.

“I am an Agent. Only the top dogs get clearance.” He simply stated, trying to control his anger as she nodded at his answer.

“Bet it’s annoying having the follow someone else’s orders all the time.” She pushes him further.

“Oh I don’t know. It’s better than being someone’s loyal dog.” He fired back as she glared at him. The Doctor continued leading the way, trying to ignore the obvious bickering between the two.

“I need you two to attach this into this device.” The Doctor told them as they stood in front of a panel. “It’ll corrupt the Cybernet for a few minutes, giving me enough time to hack into the hive and shut it down.” He handed (Y/N) the tiny chip.

“Do you always just carry around things incase you need them?” O asked, raising a brow as the Doctor shrugged.

“You’ll need this as well.” He went to hand O his sonic, but (Y/N) quickly snatched it from the Doctor, knowing she couldn’t trust it in his hands. “I’ll meet you back here in two minutes.”

(Y/N) shoved the Master back, kneeling down to the panel. He rolled his eyes as he knelt beside her, looking at the panel, trying to figure out how it worked.

“Okay, so, I’m assuming this piece fits in there.” (Y/N) spoke to herself as she saw a chip shaped hole in the panel. “But we need to figure out what wires to attach.”

“Let me have a look.” He told her as she moved out the way hesitantly. He inspected the wires as he held his hand out for the chip. She handed it him.

“This is ironic.” She said. “You’re saving the same planet you intend to destroy in a few years time.” He ignored her. “Which doesn’t work, by the way. I mean, it was so flawed. What idiot comes up with such a flawed plan-“ He snapped his head round to her, causing her to jump back slightly.

“And yet, you are still afraid of me.” He smirked, pleased with himself.

“Yeah, who wouldn’t be. You’re a psycho.” She told him as he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and you’re a puny human.” He started to pull out the wires as he held his hand out for the sonic. She laughed.

“No chance.” She shook her head, sonicing the wires to the chip as they both stepped back, seeing the chip attached.

“You know I could kill you at any moment.” He threatened.

“But we’ve already discussed this.” She folded her arms. “You can’t. You’d break the timeline.”

“Time can be rewritten.” He argued.

“And would you really risk that?” They didn’t realise how close their faces were are they argued.

“I hope you know how much I loathe you right now.” He spoke lowly as she raised a brow.

“Ditto.” She scowled at him. She didn’t know why, but she was enjoying their interaction... way too much. She couldn’t explain it. Little did she know, the Master was also enjoying it. He didn’t know why at all. She was infuriating, annoying, petty but it made him want to entertain it more.

“How we getting on gang?!”

The two pulled their glares away from each other as the Doctor reappeared.

“Great!” They both forced tight smiles as they responded at the same time. The Doctor raised a brow as he gave them a suspicious glance. (Y/N) threw him back his sonic as they moved onto the next room.

They all stood in front of the Cyber hive. The Doctor circling it to try and stop it from working. They only had a few minutes to do it before the chip would be destroyed by the cybernet.

“How do I know you aren’t behind all this?” (Y/N) asked quietly to the Master.

“And why would I do that?” He turned to her, hands behind his back.

“For attention.” She shrugged. “Future you admitted to a few things. One of them being you can’t live without the attention of the Doctor.” She teased as he flared his nostrils.

“It’s more than that.” He told her sincerely. “You wouldn’t understand. You’re just a human.”

“Stop taking cheap shots!” Her volume raised a little. “I’ve seen more than most, I’ve been with him for years, I’ve seen death, life, planets fall, destruction, invasions...” She paused, her anger evident in her face. The Master smirked slightly, knowing he’d pushed her to the edge. “I’ve probably seen everything you ever have. And I’m not a psychopathic killer!” The Doctor noticed how annoyed his companion looked as he quickly intervened.

“Okay gang!” He exclaimed, distracting her. “Let’s save the world!”

(Y/N) sighed, walking away from the Master as she followed the Doctor to the hive. He threw a large metal wire her way, as she caught it. He also threw one O’s way.

“Now, listen carefully. I need to you hold those two wires together for as long as you can. They’re going to heat up. And I mean... really heat up.” (Y/N) sent him a cautious glance. “But I need them to be touching as I shut this down.” The pair nodded. “Get ready.” (Y/N) felt slight panic as the two wires connected, electricity flowing through them. She instantly felt the metal burning up as she tried her best to keep her grip. She struggled as O noticed.

“Doctor-“ O said as he glanced up to see (Y/N) struggling.

“One second!” He exclaimed as he frantically typed in something on the screen of the hive. O looked over as he began to see the pain forming on her face. He didn’t even think before grabbing the wire from her hands, keeping them together himself. She fell back, her hands sore, but not burnt on the skin. She looked over to see the Master holding the two wires himself. She knew Timelords had a higher body temperature than humans. A second later the machine fell dead, the wires falling to the ground as the Doctor ran to check on (Y/N). She waved him off.

“Why did you do that?” She asked the Master as he looked over at her, offering his hand as she hesitantly took it, helping her off the floor.

“It’s in the job description.” He shrugged, as the Doctor sighed as everyone was ok.

The Doctor and (Y/N) were back at the TARDIS, standing outside as O joined them. The Doctor and O said their goodbyes as he went into his ship. (Y/N) sighed, looking over at the Master.

“So... About what happened down there-“ She began.

“Do not breathe a word of it to anyone.” He told her. “I did it because if the cybermen had succeeded with their plan, it would’ve messed up mine.” She gave him a small smile.

“Sure.” She smirked. “I think you just have a soft spot for me.” She teased. “Besides you were a lot nicer to me than the others in the future.” She commented as he rolled his eyes.

“You probably annoyed me so much I couldn’t be bothered to even deal with you.” He retorted as she pursed her lips.

“Well... this is goodbye for now. See you in a few years.” She told him as she went to turn away. He grabbed her wrist, turning her round as he placed a rough kiss to her lips. Her brows raised in shock as she pushed him away, confused. He smirked down at her.

“I look forward to it.”

(Y/N) entered the TARDIS seeing the Doctor at the console as she walked up to him. He quickly pushed the screen away from him as he smirked at her.

“What?” She questioned, confused.

“Seems like someone has a crush.” She shook her head, laughing to herself as realisation dawned on her. Just because she found him handsome and interesting, and somewhat charming in a weird evil twisted way didn’t mean-

Oh. God.

~

Taglist: @blamerogertaylor @a--1--1--3 @dannighost @koschei-taylor @impalasquiptyseven @hannahlilyyx @the-sweet-space-bi @yourlocalspacebisexual @drapetxmaniia @lostshadow12 @imthedoctorlove @wonders-of-the-multiverse @crescentandstar @koschei-studies

[wondersbeyondcompare]

Underpaid Security Guard

Word Count: 2929

Characters: Majid, Jamil, some mentions of Kalim

TW: None

Some Notes: An explanation on how Majid became a “security guard” of Scarabia; basically the boi is a stubborn first year brat and Jamil is taking no shit smh

Majid lay upon the pavilion located at Scarabia’s entrance, gazing at the stars that peeked out from the awning above him. The coolness of the marble against his back pleasantly numb his stinging muscles from the accidental impact he had with the floor just a few moments ago. 

In other words, Majid had fallen and couldn’t have cared to get up. 

Besides, it was a nice night to be outside. It wasn’t unbearably hot (as the dorm could sometimes get during the day) nor was it too cold. There was a bit of wind that picked up once and awhile, but it only passed as a light breeze, ruffling through Majid’s already unruly blonde hair. 

The night sky, or at least the part he could see, was lovely that evening too. Despite there being no moon in sight, the multitude of stars that he saw made up for its absence, putting even the finest of gems to shame in their brilliance. Majid was almost tempted to reach out and snatch a handful of them from the sky just to add them to his collection of wealth. Surely no diamond on Earth could compare to these glittering lights so far beyond his reach. He wondered how many constellations he might be able to hold within his grasp, how the celestial bodies would look scattered and eternally dancing between his fingers.

It must have been getting really late in the evening for him to have such sentimental thoughts. 

Unfortunately, his perfectly sentimental evening was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Majid lifted his head as much as he could from his place on the ground to see who it was. Upon catching a glimpse of sleek black hair pulled back into braids and a disapproving expression, he just as quickly lowered his head and shut his eyes. Darn. It was the vice dorm leader. He was definitely going to get scolded by him. 

The footsteps stopped a couple inches away from him and was followed by a sigh. “It’s you again. You do realize we have bedrooms back at our dorm, correct? Or perhaps you got ‘lost’ and ended up passing out from exhaustion again? That trick will only work once, Majid. It was troublesome to carry you back to the dorm, and Kaiden still complains of back problems to this day.”

‘Well, it wasn’t as if I asked him to carry me in the first place,’ Majid mentally protested, keeping his eyes closed. Maybe if he stayed still long enough, Jamil would give up and go away. That would be the best case scenario despite having to listen to his reprimands. Worst case scenario: Jamil somehow manages to convince him to get up by his own accord, but that was even more unlikely than the first option. Simply put, the odds seemed to be in Majid’s favor for the night.

“Then if it’s not that, could it be… ah, yes. You were waiting to stick your arm out the entrance mirror to scare students on the other side. As much as I respect your determination to wait until the morning to do so, I cannot condone such childish behavior. I’ll have no choice but to put you on dish duty for a week-”

Knowing how many parties Scarabia normally holds in a few days and feeling his arms already begin to ache, Majid shot up to a sitting position, casting a scornful glare at Jamil. “I only tried doing that once, okay? The rest of those times were just Amir and his stupid group of dumbass friends,” seethed Majid. 

Jamil, however, didn’t seem fazed by the younger boy’s irritation. In fact, he looked bored. A first year’s minor offenses were nothing compared to the shenanigans Kalim got up to. He placed a hand on his hip, slightly lifting up his chin as he noted, “Oh? Seems like you were awake after all. If that’s the case, why don’t you go back to your dorm room, Majid? With your own two legs of course.”

Majid’s expression soured at that last comment. So in the end, Jamil ruined his plans anyway. He even managed to get Majid to fake wake-up. How annoying.

But he wasn’t going to give up just yet. Majid laid back down in a childish act of rebellion. “I’m graciously sorry, Jamil-senpai, but I’d much rather prefer to stay out here for tonight. I promise I won’t pull any pranks with the mirror-”

“That I can’t allow,” Jamil immediately shot back, causing Majid’s brow to twitch. Well there goes his ‘be overly polite and maybe he’ll let you do whatever’ plan. “All members of Scarabia must follow their curfew to prevent any student from sneaking off to places they shouldn’t be in. Not only that, but you’re also a first year, so I can’t possibly trust your promise not to cause any trouble. Furthermore-”

“Aaaaa, I GET IT, I GET IT,” Majid groaned as he slowly sat back up. Geez, how did Kalim put up with this guy’s constant nagging? Majid felt if he spent even a second longer listening to Jamil that his head would explode. 

Actually… his head exploding seemed much more preferable than having to listen to his senior. He wondered if it was possible for one’s head to explode from constant nagging and what that would feel like if the moment ever came. 

Wait, no, he was getting off track.

Although he had been caught and pushed into a corner, Majid decided to try this again one last time, still refusing to stand up. He confronted Jamil with narrowed eyes. “Why are you even here in the first place? Shouldn’t you be following that all important curfew too?” he bitterly remarked.

“Of course. But since one of our first years decided to go on a late night stroll and leave one of their personal belongings behind in the lounge, it’s not as if I could,” responded Jamil. 

Personal belongings…? What could he possibly mean by that? It took a couple of seconds before Majid realized that his left arm felt lighter than usual. In a panic, he grabbed at his wrist and upon feeling only a beaded bracelet, he quickly got to his feet. He extended a hand towards Jamil, trying (and failing) to keep his countenance under control. “Please give it back, Jamil-senpai,” he requested in a steely tone.

Jamil studied Majid’s face carefully before folding his arms against his chest. Oh? What an interesting reaction. “Does that bracelet hold some sort of significance to you?” he inquired.

Majid’s face twisted and turned as he tried to think of what to say next. There was always the option of lying, but he wasn’t exactly fond of that. Plus, he had already shown too much emotion to hide anything now. But to tell Jamil the truth wouldn’t give him much of an advantage either…

The junior grit his teeth, agonizing over these options before stiffly bowing to his senior. “...Please give it back. I promise I won’t come out here again after curfew,” muttered Majid, his words just barely audible as they left his mouth.

Unfortunately, Jamil remained unmoved. “You didn’t answer my question, Majid. Is this bracelet important to you or not? We don’t have all night.”

“...”

“Glaring at me like that isn’t going to help.”

Sighing, Majid closed his eyes and irritably ran a hand through his hair. So there goes the good ol’ intimidation tactic. Now what? Refusing to explain wasn’t getting him anywhere. His hand found its way to the back of his neck, gripping at the hair that grew around there as he worked his brain to the max. Well, there was always the option of using magic, but starting a fight against the vice dorm leader seemed like a bad idea. Physically knocking him out would be even worse. 

If only he hadn’t panicked when it was first brought up!

“It’s… important to me, yes,” was what Majid decided to answer with, speaking as vague as he could possibly be. 

“Hmmm… I see…” Jamil mused, bringing one of his arms in front of him as if checking the time.

But Majid had never seen him wear a watch before. His eyes widened when he recognized the familiar golden glint of the scarab beetle bracelet around Jamil’s wrist. When did he-?!

Majid almost felt his heart leap out of his throat as he watched his fingers alight upon the two separate halves of the beetle. There was a strange expression on Jamil’s face as he did this. A mixture of disgust and curiosity. “I could have sworn this beetle was whole before. Did I break it or…?”

Seeing him begin to slide the halves toward each other, Majid instinctively lunged at him with an outstretched hand. “WAIT-”

The scarab beetle’s parts came together with a satisfying click of the metal. The entire bracelet began to glow with an intense golden light, and the little beetle beat its wings twice, as if preparing for lift-off, before Majid promptly dissolved into a flurry of sand. 

It took much too long for Jamil to register what just happened. For a good chunk of that time, he thought he had killed Majid and genuinely worried over how he was going to explain this to the headmaster. To say that he was just messing around with some bracelet and somehow ended up murdering his junior in the process probably wouldn’t be a sufficient explanation. There was no body to recover either.

Trying to keep calm, Jamil looked back down at the bracelet. Ah. The scarab beetle had come apart again. He placed his fingers upon the two halves once more. “Maybe if I do this again-”

He was quickly startled out of his thoughts upon hearing a raspy “NO” followed by a series of dry coughs. 

Jamil turned to see Majid kneeling on the ground behind him, his hand gripping at his chest while he continued to cough, hacking up some sand from his throat as he did so. This caused the former to look upon the scene with alarm. “Are you alright?! Did the sand make its way into your lungs? I’ll call for Kaiden to take you over to the infirmary-”

“NOT KAIDEN.” Majid looked up at Jamil with a scowl and a hand twisting even harder at the fabric of his shirt. Anybody but Kaiden. “I’m fine. Just swallowed some sand when I shouted at you earlier. It tasted awful, but I’ll live,” he grumbled.

After making sure that he was mostly okay, Jamil relaxed his shoulders. Ah, good. He didn’t kill him.

But what exactly happened at that moment?!

“Majid, do you have an explanation for this?” he asked, gesturing to the bracelet around his wrist. Seeing him begin to say “no”, Jamil placed his hand on the beetle once more. “If you refuse to explain, I’ll continue to do whatever… this is, “ he added.

This caused Majid to shut up and actually try to come up with a better response. A full minute passed until he finally decided to tell the whole truth.

“I’m cursed.”

“... Come again?”

“It’s not that serious, it’s just…” Majid gave a pained expression, seeming as if he really, really didn’t want to talk about it, before letting out a heavy sigh and standing up. “When I helped out this one guy, he gave me that bracelet along with a couple of other things as payment. Turns out by doing so, he passed both the ownership and the curse that it carried onto me. Whenever you join the two parts like that, I teleport to whoever’s holding the bracelet,” he explained.

“Then the reason it’s whole when it’s with you..”

“Well, I can’t teleport to myself, can I?”

“Of course.” Jamil examined the bracelet more closely, twisting and turning the bangle in the light of the pavilion. The metal was in stunningly perfect condition, showing no scratches, dents, or anything else that would indicate wear and tear. “Did this happen recently?”

“It was… six years ago, I think? Around when I was ten or eleven.”

“Seriously?” Jamil muttered to himself, now removing his hand from the bracelet in an almost fearful astonishment. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought of it as new. It seemed way too unlikely for Majid, whose dorm room floor was littered with similar pieces of jewelry, would have been able to maintain such a flawless condition for the item over the years. This must have been an effect of the curse.

His suspicions were confirmed when Majid spoke up again, noticing how much attention Jamil was giving to his bracelet. “I tried getting rid of it at first. Burning it, throwing it away in the garbage. But then some dumb kid got ahold of it while he was digging through the trash and accidentally summoned me. Had to punch him to get it back. Ah, but we were both kids when that happened, so it wasn’t as bad as it sounds.”

“...Yes, of course,” replied Jamil after a moment of hesitation. He looked over at Majid to see how he was feeling about all of this. Compared to before, the boy seemed unnervingly unconcerned when talking about this part of his past. With his hands casually placed in his pants pockets and a glazed look in his eyes, any outsider could have thought they were talking about the weather rather than a potentially dangerous object. “You seem awfully calm for someone who’s cursed.”

He received a shrug in response. “Like I said, it’s not that serious. The only reason I freaked out so much at first was because I didn’t want you to get any weird ideas about it, but I guess we’re past that now. Besides, it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Anyway-” Majid reached out his hand with his palm facing upward. “That’s why I keep it with me at all times. Can I have it back now? You know what it does, so it can’t be that useful to you-”

“No, I believe that I can think of some use for this, though.”

“WHAT.”

Jamil smiled at Majid, sending a chill down the latter’s spine. This guy… There was no warmth in his expression. So he really did come up with some weird ideas after all. “This is still your bracelet, so the curse won’t transfer to me, correct?”

Although Majid didn’t quite understand where he was going with this, he nodded in response. “Yeah, but does that mean you’ll give it to me?” he asked.

“No.”

“But you said-!”

“Not yet anyway. I won’t claim ownership over this; I’ll simply borrow it for a while.”

Narrowed eyes. “And how long is ‘a while’?”

Jamil pretended not to hear his question and continued to prattle on. “I’ll allow you one benefit, though. You can stay out here provided that you watch for any intruders and immediately report back to me. After all, this bracelet makes tracking your movements much easier.”

“Intruders?” echoed Majid.

“Thieves, for example. Or assassins.”

“Assassins?! At school? I can understand keeping out guys from other dorms, but isn’t that too extreme?” As soon as these words left his mouth, something else clicked in his head. Scarabia was a dorm known for its resourceful attitude and, even more notably, its wealth. This wealth was provided by none other than the famed heir to the Al-Asim family: Kalim Al-Asim. Considering how generously the boy distributed his riches, it wouldn’t have been hard to get to it, so murder was unnecessary. No, the only thing more valuable than the wealth itself was-

“Is this about Prefect Kalim? Do you really think things will ever get that bad?”

There was a beat of silence before Jamil responded, his hand moving to rest on his chest. “Kalim is the eldest son of a multi-billionaire household; it would only be foolish to assume nothing bad could ever befall upon him, especially at this point. My family has served his for many generations, so it is my duty to keep him safe at all costs. That is all.”

Majid didn’t say much after that, simply agreeing to the rest of Jamil’s terms before walking back to his dorm room for the night. This silence could have been mistaken as a sign of him finally becoming obedient or perhaps moved by Jamil’s loyalty.

However, it was quite the contrary.

Unbeknownst to his senior, he had used his unique magic on Jamil as he was speaking about Kalim. Majid’s Measure of Worth had given him insight into what the vice dorm leader was truly thinking in some notions. As far as Majid could tell, Jamil was telling the truth about his duties and his responsibility for Kalim.

But his intentions were a different story. There was a brewing resentment in Jamil’s carefully chosen words. It wasn’t the first time Majid had felt Jamil’s utter frustration with the dorm leader (really, any normal person would have picked up on it as well), but he hadn’t realized how deep it had truly become.

And it wasn’t pure malice that solely ran through Jamil’s veins either. There was a surprising amount of conflict going on within him, almost as if there was something far greater than basic etiquette and ingrained responsibility that held him back. 

For now the boy’s feelings lay coiled like a sleeping viper deep inside its den. When he would finally come out and strike, however, was a day he hoped would never come.

[drink-n-watch]

  Let me tell you something, Montreal only exists in wave and snaps. Heat waves and cold snaps. That’s it. OK, here are maybe 4 days in October which are quite nice but the rest of the time… waves and snaps. We are currently in the former although I don’t think I have any right to complain considering what’s happening in Europe. But it’s all good when you have a cool anime to chill with on the weekend! How has your week been Crow? (Crow is bold, like brass!)

  So I’m brassy bold? I like that! I’m going through a wetter than typical Ohio summer, which means 90+ (Fahrenheit — I know, we’re behind the times here in the States!) and humidity that exceeds the theoretical maximum! But your point about Europe is well-taken! No complaints here!

  Let’s jump into it, shall we?

here we go

As you may recall, last week ended on Tanjiro interrupting Boar Boy as he was about to skewer Zenitsu for protecting Nezuko’s box. We got the few last seconds of episode 13 as an opening tag to get us in the mood and I must say, a bloodied Zenitsu desperately holding onto the box may just be my spirit animal!

I love your summary! Great word economy and it got me all caught up!

After the opening credits, we finally get the payoff to Tanjiro’s lunge and it was impressive. You could really feel that impact…for about half a second. Boar Boy is brash and difficult to take. He’s a violent dumb caricature that seems to be played for laughs, but when you are actively attempting to murder most of the main cast (in a series that has not been shy about killing off people), it’s not as funny as it could be. 

This said I liked the fight.

I want to be like him when I grow up

After having a few bones broken by Tanjiro’s punch and listening to a speech about how Demon Slayers don’t draw swords against each other, Boar Boy takes the most direct approach possible and decides to attack Tanjiro bare handed right then and there. There was a slight subversion of expectations at the beginning as Boar Boy seems utterly unphased, even unbothered by the situation, simply switching from one sparring partner to another. This made the character more interesting to me.

Moreover, the fighting choreography was beautiful. Boary has an unorthodox low fighting style that incorporates a lot of leg sweeps, kicks and impressive flexibility. Paired with ufotable’s great animation, it was just fun to watch. Which is good, cause this fight lasted a while. Did you enjoy it as well?

I did, for the same reasons you mentioned. I liked how it showed Tanjiro with a little more inner conflict than usual — he didn’t want to fight, but he was still really steamed about what Boar Boy tried to do to Nezuko. Also, we got another example of Tanjiro analyzing his opponent’s style and trying to adapt. I love those little insights. 

good time to have this type of discussion

Right at the end of the fight we finally get a Boar Boy reveal. We see his face I mean. Everyone in the show says he looks like a girl but I would not have noticed. Did he seem feminine to you Crow?

Honestly, no. Maybe I’ve seen Working!! too many times (remember how Souta Takanashi often had to dress as a woman to keep from triggering the crazy training Mahiru Inami’s dad had given her? Guess I kinda got used to the idea that features aren’t binary!), but he just looked like he had delicate features. I loved Tanjiro’s reaction to Boar Boy’s challenge asking if they had a problem with his face. “”We don’t have a problem with your face! It’s quite petite, fair-skinned, and therefore attractive!”

Could he be any more diplomatic? I think Tanjiro is weaponizing “nice,” which we see several times later in this episode! 

imagine him with a red shag and receiving hairline…face is pretty much the same as Tanjiro’s non?

For all intents and purposes, Tanjirou wins the fight and we have a few quiet moments as Zenitsu, Tanjiro and the kids make good on their promise to bury the victims as Inosuke (Boar Boy) recovers.

I thought it was sweet how both Tanjiro and Zenitsu used their kimonos as makeshift bedding for Inosuke. 

It really showed their character, didn’t it? Despite the beating Inosuke tried to give them, they still didn’t want to leave him lying unprotected on the ground. I’m warming up to Zenitsu more and more in this episode! Of course, we expect that level of consideration from Tanjiro. 

As soon as Inosuke wakes up though, he goes straight back to aggressive jerk mode, demanding to fight everyone. It’s here that we get the origin to what becomes a running joke throughout the episode (and I suspect the series). Namely, Inosuke almost obsessively trying to taunt Tanjiro into lashing out just to have the latter respond with oblivious kindness and compassion.

dude, the kids are worried about YOU

Sure that’s in line with Tanjiro’s character, but when you have small traumatized children and *Zenitsu* embarrassed for you, you may want to take a step back!

Even as I laughed at Tanjiro’s reaction, I had to wonder if nice raised to the level of obliviousness is a self defense mechanism? Or is there a small piece of Tanjiro that realizes how incensed his niceness is to Inosuke?

Since Tanjiro won’t fight him, Inosuke decides to headbutt threes at full speed instead, something else he will be doing for the rest of the episode. I’m not sure if this is a long-standing habit of Boar Boy’s or he is simply trying to toughen up his skull since Tanjiro won by headbutt.

Not sure that fracturing his skull will in any way toughen it! And besides, Tanjiro’s forehead apparently had Legendary Hardness(™). I really don’t think Insouke is going to be able to catch up!

good call!

Before they can finish properly giving their respects to the dead, Tanjro’s crow shows up and tells them it’s time to leave the mountain, which they do. Along the way, the kids decide to head home, leaving the three Demon Slayers on their own and oh boy….

Zenitsu goes back to being overzealous in his fantastic fear of everything, only now, he has a loud obnoxious character in the background. On more than one occasion Tanjiro looked like he just wanted to beat them both up right then and there. With everything that’s happened so far, I think this is the first time Tanjiro truly regretted joining the Demon Slayer corp!

Tanjiro’s expressions reminded me of a day care worker on their 12th hour of the day. Just ready to go home and sleep, but the screaming children still need to be supervised! 

I bet those kids were happy to leave

In a bit of almost ex machina luck, it seemed the three of them had been close to a private estate to serves as a Demon Slayer sanctuary due to an old family debt. And so, our three stoo… slayers now have a place to rest and heal up before continuing their adventures.

I see how you almost slipped there! Kinda thought the same thing myself. One saving grace? I think the Crow was leading there (always trust Crows — we’re innately trustworthy as a matter of professional pride!), so I don’t think it was random. 

However, the Crow leading them somewhere pleasant? I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop!

And that’s pretty much it. A series of shenanigans take place as all three boys show comical extremes of their personalities. It was like an intermission or a random slice of life episode thrown in and I have to admit…I didn’t really like it.

sorry

When you exaggerate them like that Zenitsu is annoying and Inosuke is obnoxious, while Tanjiro is just kind of boring. I wouldn’t call it awful, but it was my least favourite episode so far. And the backstory and development we get on Inosuke were so basic that they could have skipped it all together without much consequence. But you are usually a fountain of positivity, what did you think Crow???

No pressure! If I had to rank these first 14 episodes, this one would likely be at the bottom. What kept Inosuke from being a complete chariature was how Tanjiro’s weaponized politeness gradually wore him down. Before dinner, for example, Boar Boy was on the constant attack. At dinner, he even snatched foot right off of Tanjiro’s plate and obnoxiously chewed it right in his face! When Tanjiro offered him another bowl of food, saying Inosuke must be really hungry, I expected Boar Boy to slap away the food. Instead, he just glowered. That’s progress!

The TL;DR version: Tanjiro’s Legendary Kindness(™) might just transform Inosuke.

we got some fanservice though…

It’s really the last minutes that brought what I’ve been waiting for, for a few weeks now. Nezuko’s glorious and adorable return. I was so thrilled to see her. And just before she got back, there was a quiet and touching moment between Tanjiro and Zenitsu. It was lining up to be the best scene in the episode and… Zenitsu completely ruined it again.

He wasn’t very easy to follow but I think he was implying that Tanjiro joined the Demon Slayer Corp so that he could get a cute demon girlfriend and carry her around with him which is a weird conclusion to jump to, at best… 

But it’s the kind of conclusion a male of Zenitsu’s temperament would jump to! In high school, within my group of friends, if one of them managed to get a girlfriend, the rest would hassle him about it. Heck, look at Issei Hyoudou’s friends from High School DxD! They caught one glimpse of him with Rias Gremory and threatened him with bodily harm!

But you’re absolutely right: Seeing Nezuko emerge from the box was a beautiful moment. Given how terrified Zenitsu was of the opening box, when she emerged looking all adorable and stuff, all I could think was “Behold the terrifying demon! Tremble in her presence!”

In a wildly sarcastic way, of course.

boys are weird…

As it stands my favourite scene is the opening tag, which was a recap of the last episode so that should tell you something. I’m going to pretend that was a recap episode and just move on to the next one. On the upside, it still looked great!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 05: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 06: A Friend fo All Humans

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 07: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 08: The Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 09: Temari Demon and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 10: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 11: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 12: The Boar Bears Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 13: Writers are A Pain

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I’m liking slideshows lately…

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 14: You Need To Calm Down! Let me tell you something, Montreal only exists in wave and snaps. Heat waves and cold snaps.

[perfectirishgifts]

Sarah McBride Talks About Having ‘A Seat At The Table’ As The First Trans State Senator In U.S. History

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/sarah-mcbride-talks-about-having-a-seat-at-the-table-as-the-first-trans-state-senator-in-u-s-history-2/

Sarah McBride Talks About Having ‘A Seat At The Table’ As The First Trans State Senator In U.S. History

Sarah McBride is the first trans state senator in U.S. history.

Sarah McBride is still weeks away from being sworn in to represent the First State Senate District in Delaware, but she’s already hard at work for her constituents. 

McBride is fielding pothole requests in the district that encompasses Claymont (yes— the same place the incoming president, Joe Biden, grew up,) Bellefonte, and parts of Wilmington, Delaware. She is also creating a plan to address some of the issues she focused on during her campaign: healthcare, paid family medical leave, re-imagining the criminal justice system, repairing the economy, and building quality public schools for every child, regardless of zip code. 

While McBride focuses on the issues that helped get her elected with almost 75% of the vote, she’s also quick to embrace the barriers she has broken. The 30-year-old who now represents the districts she grew up in also happens to be the first transgender person in the country to be elected to any state senate. 

This makes Sarah McBride America’s highest-ranking openly transgender elected official.

And although she’s already had to counter offensive questions with quick-witted responses, McBride has been overwhelmingly welcomed in the district where she’s worked in politics since she was a teenager. 

Trying To “Make The Most Amount Of Good” 

McBride grew up the youngest of three children, with two older brothers. According to Sean McBride, her oldest brother, the McBride family has a deep and abiding love of politics, and from a young age, his sister was enamored with it. Sean reminisced about Sarah’s infatuation with elections as a kid.

“She was obsessed with politics, political culture, and specifically with the White House,” Sean laughed.

“I remember, she had a ton of books about— not just the occupants of the White House, but the building itself. She took a real interest in things like the layout of the White House and the history of architecture, which is, you know, that’s atypical for a nine or 10-year-old.”

When Sarah was around 12, she went from reading about politics to being actively involved. She began volunteering on political campaigns, including for the former governor of Delaware, Jack Markell. As a field organizer for Markell’s campaign, she knocked on doors, recruited volunteers, and talked to neighbors about supporting the state treasurer, who at the time was running to be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in the state.

Markell said McBride even recruited around 60 students to support his campaign. He became so impressed by her, specifically her public speaking abilities, he asked her to come with him around the state and introduce him at campaign events. 

“I probably would not have won without her,” said Markell, who became McBrides’s most significant mentor and friend.

When she was 15, McBride had her first political internship with none other than Beau Biden, late son of Joe Biden, when he was campaigning for Delaware Attorney General. McBride recalled part of why she immersed herself in politics instead of participating in typical pre-teen shenanigans. 

“I think a big reason for that was that I, at a young age, I knew who I was, but also knew very definitively that there wasn’t much space for someone like me, in our society,” McBride said.

“And politics and government and advocacy seemed like a place where I could try to make the most amount of good for the most number of people in the most number of ways possible.”

As far back as she can remember, McBride says she knew she was different. But it wasn’t until she was 10, watching the sitcom NBC’s Just Shoot Me with her mom, when she realized there were other people in the world like her. The sitcom had a guest character, played by Jenny McCarthy, who is eventually revealed as transgender. As McBride puts it, whenever someone expressed interest in McCarthy’s character on the show, the punchline was that they didn’t know she was trans, and the laugh track would cue.

McBride reminisced how she turned to her mother and asked whether people like McCarthy’s character existed in the world. When her mother replied yes, she said, her heart sank. 

“I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to have to tell you this someday, and you are going to be so disappointed,” McBride said. “And what could have been a life-affirming moment of finding out that there were other people like me, and that I wasn’t alone in this world, was really in many ways soul-crushing, because at 10-years-old, you don’t know a lot, but you know, you don’t want to be a joke.”

“And every time that laugh track would cue, I knew, or at least I thought I knew, that there wouldn’t be a place for me in this world. And even if I couldn’t personally benefit… I think I got involved in politics because I thought if I could help others in their pursuit of authenticity and happiness, that it would somehow fill the incompleteness and the pain in my own life.”

Along the way, though, she found herself. McBride’s most prominent supporters, her family, couldn’t be prouder – especially her big brother, Sean.

“I remember being a kid and handing out leaflets, canvassing for Harris McDowell, the senator who represented the district, I think for my entire life,” Sean said. “It would have been beyond belief, the idea that my youngest sister, my only sister, ten years younger than me, would replace him.”

“If you told me that when I was 16- or 17 years old, canvassing for Harris McDowell, I would have been shocked.”

‘Coming Out’ And Jack Markell 

When Sarah McBride arrived at American University in Washington D.C., she dived right into campus politics and advocacy, and was eventually elected student body president. She helped restart a school scholarship program that had gone dormant, successfully advocated for gender-inclusive housing at the university, helped create an LGBTQ minor, and pushed for reforms to improve accessibility on campus, among  other accomplishments. 

But even with how busy she kept herself through her studies and student government work, there was still something missing. 

“As professionally fulfilling as it was, it didn’t heal the pain,” McBride said. “It only emphasized that I was living my life as someone I wasn’t.”

During her term as student body president, McBride came out as transgender to her family, campus, and faith community. At that moment, McBride said, she prepared herself for backlash, and for the stigma to potentially corrode her friendships, and even her potential career in government. News spread not only through campus but also through Delaware’s political circles, as McBride had accrued much influence in her very public role as a young youth advocate. 

There was one person she wanted to tell the news to personally, though — her mentor— Delaware Gov. Jack Markell. She remembers the day vividly. McBride reached out to one of Markell’s senior advisors.

“The governor was in New York on Morning Joe, I remember, and I called his senior advisor, and said I was hoping to talk to the governor and told him why,” McBride said. 

Around three hours later, McBride was taking the elevator up to her college apartment when she received a call. It was Markell.

“I pick up, and he goes, ‘Well, that’s big news,'” McBride said. “I went through a very abbreviated, rapid version of what I was experiencing and told him that I didn’t want to take too much of his time. And he just said, ‘You know, slow down, let’s talk.’ 

McBride said she and the governor spoke for around 45 minutes in a conversation where he made clear he loved and supported her. A few minutes later, Markell’s wife called McBride to express support too, and then they both called McBride’s parents. 

“I remember my mother was so scared when I came out, I’ve never seen her cry that hard,” McBride said. “To have the governor of the state and the First Lady reach out and say, ‘This doesn’t change anything. We love you. And we’re there for Sarah and are there for you.'”

“My mother was in a mall and fell to the floor and started crying.”

McBride said every two weeks, Markell would call and check on her. 

“There’s no one in politics who has supported me and mentored me more than Jack Markell. He is a generous and compassionate person,” McBride said. 

The Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Bill

A few weeks after coming out, McBride recalls Markell and his son visiting her in D.C. Markell’s son was looking at colleges, and American University was on the list. After a tour, the three sat down for coffee, when Markell asked McBride whether she wanted to return to Delaware after graduation. 

“I said, ‘I do, governor, but I’m scared to come back because there are no non-discrimination protections for transgender people,” McBride said.

“He [Governor Markell] sat back in his chair, and he said, ‘Let’s fix that.’

Sarah McBride advocates for the gender identity non-discrimination bill.

From that moment on, McBride said she effectively became “the 63rd member of the Delaware General Assembly.” She camped out at legislative hall, day in and day out, advocating for the gender identity non-discrimination bill.

“When you are walking the halls with a person impacted by an issue, when you’re sitting across an office, or a conference room table, from a person impacted by an issue, the political becomes personal, and the abstract, becomes real,” she said.

“And it’s difficult to look someone in the eye and deny them the equal protection of the laws, or deprioritize their rights.”

Markell said his philosophy was always to provide everyone—regardless of gender identity, etc.— equal protections under the law. Besides that, he said it’s the right thing to do; it would help Delaware thrive from an economic standpoint. He said he believes McBride humanized the issue for members of the legislature and members of the public.

Sarah McBride spent months at Delaware’s legislative hall advocating for the gender identity … [] non-discrimination bill.

“Her coming down to testify, her coming down along with her parents, who are just extraordinary people, to meet individually with legislators or to stand on the floor of the House or the Senate, and frankly, in some cases, to have abuse hurled at them. But to be so strong was absolutely critical to getting the legislation through,” Markell said. 

 Within a year, Markell signed the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination bill into law.

The Delaware State Senate/The LGBTQ Community  

McBride wasn’t sure she’d ever run for office. It’s not that she didn’t want to; it had more to do with the difficulty of “being what you can’t see.” There were no transgender state senators for her to emulate. As she climbed the ladder, she figured she’d find a role elsewhere. 

McBride found advocacy work fulfilling. From 2016 until her election this year, she worked as a spokesperson for The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the U.S. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she made history as the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention. 

Sarah McBride launched her campaign in 2019, after years spent working in advocacy for The Human … [] Rights Campaign.

She was a successful advocate, but knew more might be accomplished by having a ���seat at the table.’ She also had ideas and a vision for the district she called home for three decades. In 2019, she decided to run for Delaware State Senate. 

Campaigning during the age of Covid wasn’t easy; her team of supporters and volunteers went from knocking on doors to sending texts, phone calls, and writing postcards. It didn’t take long for McBride to realize how accepting the voters of Delaware’s first senate district are. In the primary, she defeated fellow Democrat Joseph McCole with a whopping 91 percent of the vote. 

“Those results reflect the fair-mindedness of the voters in the First Senate District who judge candidates based on their ideas and experience, not on their identities,” McBride said. 

McBride would go on to win, making history. Soon after, advocacy groups such as The Human Rights Campaign, McBride’s previous employer, and The LGBTQ Victory Fund, an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBTQ public officials in the U.S., reacted with excitement. 

“One of the reasons the Victory Fund works to elect people is because representation matters. Ever since Danica Roam [a transgender woman in the Virginia House of Delegates] won in 2017, we’ve seen so many trans candidates inspired to step up and run for office,” said Sean Meloy, the senior political director at the Victory Fund.

“Sarah is the latest to inspire and give hope to a whole slew of people across the country.”

According to Meloy, there is a tremendous deficit in the elected office of people within the LGBTQ community. He said roughly 5% of adults identify as LGBTQ in the U.S. However, they only represent approximately .1% of roughly 500,000 elected positions. 

Meloy and The Victory Fund say that for LGBTQ people to achieve “equitable representation,” there would need to be more than 22,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people elected to office.

Lucas Acosta, the Deputy Communications Director for Politics for the Human Rights Campaign, believes McBride’s election will spark more LGBTQ people to run for office.

“Sarah is the first trans person to be in the state senate, and the next step for the community, specifically with the trans community, is getting elected as a member of Congress, and I think that that is 100% doable,” Acosta said.

Sarah McBride was elected to the Delaware State Senate with almost 75% of the vote,

McBride emphasized she didn’t run to merely be a transgender state senator or to focus on trans rights; her focus is on all the residents in the first senate district, regardless of their identity or background. She says she didn’t want to make headlines or news, but wants to make a difference in her community. She did emphasize, though, that she will work to ensure she is not the last transgender person to be elected to political office. 

“To be a first doesn’t matter if you’re the last, and the best way to ensure that I’m not the last is to be entirely focused on the nuts and bolts of the job that I have in front of me,” McBride said. 

“I know how much of a difference it would have made for me as a young person to have seen this news, and my hope is that whether you’re LGBTQ or not, you see this result and you recognize that you can live your truth, whatever that is, and dream big dreams all at the same time.”

Andy

Sarah McBride says her late husband, Andy, immensely influenced her political career.

There have been many formative parts of McBride’s life, including her journey as a trans person and her political experiences as a young person. But when asked what influenced her journey the most, she said… Andy. 

Andy was McBride’s late husband, whom she met while interning at the White House under President Barack Obama. Andy was a transgender man; they met at the White House Pride reception in 2012.

“He reached out to me a couple of weeks later, with a Facebook message where he said he thought we’d get along swimmingly. And he asked me out. Typically, I wouldn’t respond to a Facebook message like that. But I knew we had a bunch of mutual friends. And I thought, anyone my age who says the word swimmingly is good in my book,” McBride laughed.

They started dating almost immediately. McBride said Andy worked as an advocate in healthcare, trying to ensure the Affordable Care Act was implemented in a way that provided quality services and affordable healthcare to marginalized communities, specifically the LGBTQ community. 

And then, a year into their relationship, Andy was diagnosed with cancer. 

McBride served as Andy’s caregiver throughout his battle with cancer; he underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery and eventually got a clean bill of health. And then, eight months later, after his final chemotherapy and radiation session, he got the news every cancer patient fears: it was back, it had spread to his lungs and it was terminal. 

When Andy found out the news, McBride says, he asked her to marry him. They got married three weeks after his terminal diagnosis. He died four days after their wedding.

Sarah McBride and Andy got married three weeks after his terminal cancer diagnosis.

“When we ask people to sit back and allow for slow conversations to take place before we ensure them opportunity and treat them with dignity, we are asking people to watch their one life pass by without the fairness and opportunity they deserve,” McBride said. 

“I saw that in Andy’s life as a transgender man, who had come out at a relatively young age and who should have had three-quarters of his life as his authentic self, but because of circumstances outside of his control, he had less than a quarter.”

“I left that experience with a profound sense of the urgency of the issues we face, and the preciousness of time.”

The Future

As McBride looks to the future, she has many things on her mind, including the Covid-19 pandemic. She’s focused on ensuring Delaware continues to face the crisis in a data-driven, responsible way. She encourages the legislature to empower a data- and science-driven approach in its response. She wants to ensure the economy is preserved, while the Covid-19 recovery plan helps all families; she also advocates for paid family and medical leave.

While she works on the issues at hand, she continues to receive messages about her historic win. The ones that mean the most are from transgender children and their families. 

She thinks about them while she approaches her work and while reflecting on how far she’s come. 

“I’ll never forget, years ago, standing on the floor of the Delaware State Senate with tears in my eyes, with my parents by my side, telling my story and effectively pleading for my rights,” McBride said. 

“I was looking out on a chamber that didn’t include anyone like me. Now, seven years later, to have the opportunity to stand on that same floor as the newly elected state senator for the district that has always meant so much to me, as my authentic self, now fighting for dignity and opportunity for every single Delawarean, is an incredible journey to reflect on.”

From Diversity & Inclusion in Perfectirishgifts

[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

25 Fics of Christmas - Day 5

A/N: Ack! I fell asleep before I could post yesterday! So here’s day 5! Hopefully 6 and 7 will go up today since yesterday was meant to be a double post day. But if not, I will likely post an update schedule tomorrow so keep your eye out! I really like this piece and I hope you do too! 

Title: Put on Your Holiday Best 

Summary: Tony picks the theme for the holiday party and shenanigans ensue. 

Characters/Pairings: Steve x Reader, Nat and Tony are featured, rest of the team mentioned 

Rating: T for language and implied sexy times 

Word count: 1293 

“The theme for this year’s Christmas party is… drumroll please…” When you all simply stared blankly at him, Tony rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. A little enthusiasm please.”

“Get on with it, Stark.”

You offered him a sarcastic thumb’s up earning you a glare.

“Fine. The theme is ugly holiday secret santa mystery.”

“Cool!” Peter bounced excitedly.

“This sounds ridiculously complicated.”  

“What exactly does that entail?” Steve asked warily.

“I’m glad you asked, Rogers. All of your names are in this Santa hat. Each team member will pick a name, buy that person an ugly holiday outfit. It should be delivered anonymously before the party next Friday. And you must wear the outfit you’re given. Got it?”

“Where exactly does the mystery come in?” Wanda asked.

“Well, we’re going to try to guess who everybody’s secret Santa is and then we’ll do the reveal. Whoever gets closest wins a special prize.”

“Okay, this actually kind of sounds like it could maybe be fun,” you admitted.

“Thank you, y/n! That’s the kind of noncommittal enthusiasm I want to see. Now pass the hat, and pick a name. Don’t unfold it until you’re alone. With this many spies I don’t want the secret ruined because someone doesn’t know how to keep it close to the vest.”

All eyes darted to Peter.

“What?!”

One by one you each took a name and left the room. You were the last one and you grinned when you saw the name on your slip. This was going to be good.

You knew how competitive your teammates were and you were sure they wouldn’t be above fingerprinting their boxes to find out who their secret Santa was so you made sure to handle everything with gloves. You managed to slip the box into his room Wednesday morning, whistling happily once you were in the clear. Now it was just time to wait for your own outfit.

It was four o’clock on the day of the party and you still hadn’t received anything, and you were a little frustrated. You knew everyone else had gotten there’s. No one had revealed them to each other, but you had heard enough vague comments to deduce that some of them were truly horrendous.

After a few more minutes of waiting, you gave up and went to shower.

When you stepped out of your bathroom, wrapped in a towel you actually chuckled when you saw the outfit laid out for you. At least your secret Santa had good taste in boots.

You were just about to enter the party when there was a low chuckle behind you.

“That’s one hell of an outfit, y/n.”

You pivoted quickly to face him only to have your stiletto heel stick and throw you off balance. You braced for impact but Steve caught you before you could hit the floor.

“Thanks.”

“Nice gum drops,” he smirked. And you saw a flash of desire in his eyes.  

You blushed as you looked down at the three glittery pompoms that were definitely placed to draw the eye.

“Thanks,” you mumbled again. “Looks like you got off easy.”

He was wearing a simple black sweater with a big Christmas tree on it. It was certainly ugly but it was not nearly as ostentatious as your own.

“You haven’t seen the back yet,” he disagreed.

You motioned for him to spin around and when he did you clamped a hand over your mouth to keep your laughing quiet.

“Oh my god.”

The tree was the same on the back, but on this side it went down further so it covered his butt with two presents.

“Well, we’ve always told you your ass was a gift,” you teased. It was his turn to blush. “Come on, let’s go in.”

He offered you his arm, which you took as you both pushed open the double doors.

Happy handed each of you a clipboard and a pen as you walked in.

“You have,” he checked his watch, “Twenty-eight minutes to correctly identify everyone’s secret Santa. Ballots are due back to me at 6:30 sharp. Enjoy the party.”

“Thanks, Happy.”

You immediately filled in two spaces.

“How do you already know two of them?” Steve asked as you headed for the bar.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I know who mine is. And I’m also pretty sure I know who yours is.”

“Who do you think mine is?”

You shook your head at him, “No way. You’re on your own, Rogers.”

Tony was standing on a raised stage when he noticed you and Steve.

“Oh good, you’re both finally here. The fashion show can begin.”

You and Steve looked at each other in horror.

“Fashion show?” you squeaked out.

“That’s right. I want to make sure everyone gets to see all of the outfits in their full glory. So everybody take your seats and get ready to take on the catwalk.”

“Where’s a plane to dive out of when you need one?” Steve muttered.

“I’d take a hole in the floor swallowing me, honestly.”

“Aww lighten up you two,” Sam grinned as he put an arm around each of you. “Come one and enjoy the show.”

“I’ll start things off,” Tony grinned, walking upstage. “I’m wearing this season’s latest in men’s holiday couture,” he announced unbuttoning the overly patterned red suit jacket and doing a spin. “It is the perfect combination of eyesore and a perfectly cut suit. Well done to whoever got my measurements right.”

After another pass on the catwalk he sat down. One by one each team member modeled their outfits.  

Some of them were easy to guess who it came from, like Sam’s suit that had all of the birds from the 12 days of Christmas and actually tweeted the tune of the song.

Others like Bruce’s periodic table Christmas tree sweater were harder.

You were stuck on who gave Nat her Christmas tree dress and who gave Bucky his snowman costume. It came down to a crunch time decision. You just barely finished scrawling names as Happy took the paper from you.

“Alright, now it’s time for the big reveal. Let’s start with our newest teammate, all the way from Wakanda. Who had T’Challa?”

No one was surprised when Sam stood up laughing at T’Challa’s unamused expression. You had to admit, the way he was glaring at Sam did make him look like Grumpy cat on his sweater.

“Now we’ll just go in order. Who had Sam?”

Bucky smirked as he raised his hand. Steve had Bucky. Clint had Steve. You were pleased your guess had been right. So far your ballot was at 100%. Judging by other people’s groans the same wasn’t true fro everyone.

It continued on down the line. Once Tony had admitted he had Vision, you gleefully stood up to own up to the suit.

“This is an abomination, y/n, but it fits like a glove. Well-played.”

You were unsurprised when Nat stood up after that. You glared daggers at her but she just winked and blew you a kiss.

Once everyone knew who their secret Santa was the party really started. After getting another drink you sought out the red-headed assassin.

“Really, Nat? Thigh-high lace up boots and a gingerbread romper?”

She simply laughed.

“Hey, you look hot.”

“I was so embarrassed. I didn’t even bother putting on blush tonight!” you hissed.

“You don’t need it anyway. Besides, this outfit is the gift that keeps on giving.”

“How so?” you asked nervously.

“Well, it caught your favorite super soldier’s attention.”

You turned to see Steve watching you with a mix of shyness and determination. He knocked back his whiskey before heading your way.

“Merry Christmas, y/n,” Nat whispered as she slipped away.

It was a very, merry Christmas.

A/N: So there you have it. I don’t know why I came up with such a convoluted party game, but honestly I would probably make my friends do it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! 

Steve/Chris Tag List @isaxhorror

Permanent Tag List @iamwarrenspeace @jayzayy @bexboo616 @neoqueen306 @santheweird @helgahuffelpuff @buckitybarnes

[myhahnestopinion]

Marvel Ranked: Part 4 (11-1)

This is it! Following Thursday preview showings, Spider-Man: Homecoming officially swings into theaters today. So, it is also time for my good friend Jacob Lacy and I to reveal the fourth and final installment of our collaborative blog series ranking all of Marvel’s big-screen adaptations.

Over the course of this series, we have looked at a lot of films, from some hellish, incoherent messes, to some flawed-but-charming films, to some good, but not quite great movies. You can read our thoughts on those here:

Part 1 (44-34): https://tmblr.co/Zfi-mh2NRL3Hr

Part 2 (33-23): https://tmblr.co/ZAYA9k2NU0mWw

Part 3 (22-12): https://tmblr.co/Zfi-mh2NWISwH

Today, our ranking comes to an end, as we look at the absolute best films Marvel has to offer:

11. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

“Charles, we need you to hope again.”

Aaron: Deftly adapting one of their most iconic comic book storylines, X-Men: Days of Future Past is a wonderful celebration of the team’s venerable history, both in print and on the big screen. Both the original and prequel films were brimming with talented actors, so bringing these two casts together is like cinematic bliss. Between the time-travel shenanigans, the first on-screen appearance of classic comic book villains The Sentinels, and loads of visually arresting super-powered action, the film offers plenty of fan-service to compliment the continued character development from the last entry. Best of all, the film engages in one of the most ubiquitous elements of comics: the retcon, allowing us to finally forget all about the disastrous franchise entries found near the bottom of this list.

Jacob: Before Logan came along, this was definitely my favorite entry into the X-Men franchise, and this was mostly due to it involving one of my favorite pieces of sci-fi: time travel. As everyone probably already knows by this point, they handle this sometimes quite tricky piece of storytelling with grace. And by grace I mean wielding it wildly like Wolverine’s claws to slice away any trace of everything that sucked from past entries, and surprisingly it worked. Nearly everything works here, from the great performances (sometimes from two different people playing the same character), to the intensely thrilling action set pieces both from the past and future. And I honestly can’t believe we haven’t mentioned it yet, but the “Time In A Bottle” scene is so good I could watch it on repeat for days.

10. SPIDER-MAN

“Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”

Jacob: We’ve finally broken the top ten, and what better way is there to do that than with one of the films that helped the superhero genre break into the mainstream consciousness? It’s a tough call between this and Spider-Man 2, but I think this might personally be my favorite outing for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Though Holland takes the cake on being the best Peter Parker, you can’t deny how natural Toby Maguire seems in the role. Raimi’s direction here is also a huge plus, and who isn’t still a little haunted by Willem Dafoe’s take on the classic Green Goblin…I know I am.

Aaron: I think the reasons a lot of people dismiss the Toby Maguire films are the same reasons I love them so much: they’re unapologetically campy and good-natured. Raimi and Maguire’s interpretation of the character truly is a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the closest any modern superhero has come to evoking the spirit of Adam West’s Batman. There’s just so much heart and soul in this film, differentiating it from a lot of other superhero movies. The presentation of the origin story feels ripped right from the original comic book pages, and the cast is phenomenal (Yes, I too am still a little haunted by Willem Dafoe in this film…). While I loved Holland in Civil War, it is going to be tough to top this version of the character for me.

9. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

“Mutant and proud.”

Aaron: While Bryan Singer deserves a lot of credit for proving the X-Men could work on the big screen, director Matthew Vaughn provided the best handle on character balance, comic-book aesthetic, and representing the enduring appeal of the X-Men franchise that the film series has ever had. While it was hard to imagine more perfect casting for Professor X and Magneto than the original films offered, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are two acting powerhouses, crafting an involving, nuanced, and emotionally resonant dynamic between the characters. While their relationship is the highlight of the film, the supporting cast is all given time to shine as well, including a fun training montage that fully captures the spirit of the original teen-centric comics. There is a bit of wonky prequel nonsense to deal with, but it gives rise to a delightful revisionist history of the Cuban Missile Crisis that imbues the film with some groovy spy thrills, making First Class a highlight of the lengthy franchise.

Jacob: As far as wonky prequel stuff goes; this is by far the easiest film to forgive that I can think of (especially because Xavier doesn’t mention something about hating sand while on the Cuban beach). Much like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, First Class focuses a lot on smaller character moments, whether they be between Xavier, Erik, and Raven, or any other number of X-Men in this movie. Everyone here feels like they have a purpose, and unlike in Apocalypse, they are all given something to do that only they could do. It should be a no-brainer, but too few X-Men movies ever really reach the pinnacle of enjoyable teamwork action that this one does. And of course I can’t neglect to mention that Fassbender and McAvoy fill the shoes of their characters nearly perfectly.  If only all X-Men movies could be this stylish and great.

8. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

“I don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from.”

Jacob: Believe it or not, this was the first MCU movie that got me interested in the universe Marvel was building. I didn’t know much going into this film, and I think that’s what has kept it so high in my mind to this day. I had no frame of reference for the story of Steve Rogers, so his trials and tribulations throughout the film were all surprises to me. This is no more obvious than when Steve loses Bucky (although now I wish we could just lose the character for good). Chris Evans’ performance is so on point for this character and he elevates this movie higher than it could ever reach on its own. Besides, I don’t think anyone could ever forget the scene where Cap’n emerges in the present. So freaking good.

Aaron: I definitely came at this film from a completely different perspective, considering that Captain America has long been my favorite superhero of all time. This made me very nervous in the lead-up to the film’s release, worried that they wouldn’t do the hero justice, but luckily the film was everything I ever wanted. Chris Evans really embodies the spirit of the hero, bolstered by the excellent screenplay that understands the selfless, kind-hearted, truly heroic nature of the character. It also features Marvel’s most convincing and involving romance with Cap and Haley Atwell’s Peggy Carter, who would go on to receive a fantastic television show all her own. This thrilling, inspiring film, which started the MCU’s best franchise, was all the affirmation I needed that Captain America is Marvel’s greatest hero.

7. LOGAN

“Logan, you still have time.”

Aaron: Like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Logan is a very recent entry for this list, but the significance of its revolutionary approach to comic book adaptations can already be observed. Evoking classic Western films, such as 1953’s Shane, far more than its special-effects driven counterparts, Logan presents a thematically rich and emotionally poignant send-off for Hugh Jackman’s career-defining role as Wolverine. Despite being more character focused that typical superhero films though, the movie doesn’t skimp on action, instead finally delivering on the gleefully gory R-rated Wolverine action that fans have been longing for. Logan exhibits passion, completeness, and risk-taking that is not often seen in superhero movies, making it a clearly superior entry of the genre. Its impact will surely resonate for years to come.

Jacob: The thing that really sets Logan apart for me is the obvious love the entire cast and crew has for the character and the world they have built around him. It’s evident in the superb writing, the eye-catchingly gorgeous cinematography (this is probably the best looking superhero film yet), and it’s especially evident in the Oscar-worthy (yeah, I said it) performance from its lead. There was so much care put into this film and you can feel it seeping out of every frame. With a lack of obligation to nearly any other X-Men outing, Logan is able to take risks and be bold, loud, and violent without losing the tenderness that lies underneath. It’s hard to deny that Logan will be considered one of the most influential comic book films of all time, and all it takes is one viewing to see why that is. 

6. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

“Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?”

Jacob: This is without a doubt the film that I have struggled the most with on this list. There is so much I love in it, but no matter what I always feel like something is missing. Evans delivers yet another great turn as the star-spangled shield thrower, and the action here is some of the best that the MCU has to offer. The elevator scene is one of the most intensely thrilling things to come out of a Marvel movie yet, and while I might dislike Bucky more than the general movie goer, I can’t deny the power that lies in he and Steve’s friendship. While I can’t personally see this as the greatest Marvel film yet, there is no denying that it deserves a place among the greats.

Aaron: Even at number 6, this film is far too low! This is personally my favorite Marvel movie, so Lacy’s indifference to it irks me more than any of our other film disagreements. Again, though, we’re coming from very different perspectives, as Captain America is my favorite hero. Winter Soldier’s tightly-plotted, political-thriller influenced tale, rounded-out by lots of impressively choreographed, refreshingly grounded action scenes, is the MCU’s most captivating movie to me. Unlike many MCU sequels, it also does an excellent job of continuing the plot threads and character developments of its predecessor, resulting in a rousing emotional finale. There’s Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, timely political material, and once again a truly inspiring portrayal of the hero, all adding up to make Winter Soldier an absolute masterpiece. Man, how can anyone not fully love this movie?

5. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

“He’s my friend.”

“So was I”

Aaron: Back when the Civil War comics came out in 2007, it seemed impossible that their massive scale could ever be properly adapted in movie form, and yet, after 8 years of unbridled success for the MCU, Marvel finally managed it. While, true, it features far less characters than the line-wide comic, it does unite almost all of the all-star cast that the Universe has amassed thus far, including fantastic newcomers Black Panther and Spider-Man, into an imposing airport brawl set-piece, probably the most exhilarating superhero action scene ever put on film. Among all the large-scale action though, the film keeps its focus on the character dynamics that have been building throughout all the MCU films thus far, resulting in a riveting, emotional finale. Between the dynamic action, talented cast, deft exploration of timely themes, and embrace of the scale now afforded to the MCU, I guess it’s okay that Captain America himself gets a bit lost in the shuffle.

Jacob: Captain America: Civil War? More like Avengers: Civil War, am I right? In all seriousness though, this movie continues the tradition started in Ant-Man and makes this entire MCU feel like a living, breathing, world. On top of just being an exhilarating scene, the airport brawl is perhaps the most ambitious superhero action yet. Everyone gets a little something amazing to do, even if Rudd’s Ant-Man steals the show in the end. As a whole though, this film works so well because it acknowledges that we all know no one will die in this war, so it places its stakes on relationships between its characters instead. Bridges are burned here and relationships are broken, and the picture acknowledges that sometimes that can hurt more than death. It’s realizations like this that make the final fight so heartbreaking to watch…even if it is awesome.

4. SPIDER-MAN 2

“Intelligence is not a privilege, it’s a gift. And you use it for the good of mankind.”

Jacob: Alfred Molina’s Dr. Octavius is by far the best villain we’ve seen in a superhero film. His performance is nuanced and his character conflicted. It is absurd how good he is in this role. I just wanted to get that out of the way first, because it’s pretty much irrefutable and all the while baffling that no other Marvel film has come close to matching this level of writing even thirteen years later. Other than that though, I find this movie rests in just the “it’s good” segment of Marvel films. We get more Maguire and Franco, but I just never felt that the film as a whole ever outpaced the original. And what was the deal with that “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” scene? Not as bad as emo-glam Peter Parker…but close.

Aaron: Once again, I had to fight to get this masterpiece a higher place on this list, and, yes, personally I’d place it higher still. Spider-Man 2 is everything a sequel should be, building on the character dynamics and themes of the first film, featuring bigger and bolder action scenes, and not losing sight of being a satisfying, emotionally-involving film in its own right. Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock truly is the best villain of any superhero film ever, and that train fight still ranks as one of the best superhero action scenes. Once again, what I really love about the Raimi film is their campy, good-hearted nature, from that endearing pizza delivery scene, to the Bruce Campbell theater scene, to, yes, even the “Raindrops Keep Falling” scene. Especially that scene! To me, this film surpasses the already great original in every way, and still stands as the best cinematic version of the web-slinger yet.

3. IRON MAN

“It's got a nice ring to it. I mean it's not technically accurate. The suit's a gold titanium alloy.”

Aaron: Half this list wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the all-out success of the original Iron Man film. Transforming a B-list superhero into a multi-billion dollar franchise all his own, thanks mostly to Robert Downey Jr.’s perfectly charismatic, lovably loathable performance as Tony Stark, Iron Man is a funny, exciting, and brisk superhero origin story. Bolstered by a solid supporting cast (His villain may be underdeveloped, but I love Jeff Bridges in this movie), a stimulating score by Ramin Djawadi, and high-octane action featuring a just plain visually-awesome suit, the film is an absolute joy ride. While it can feel a bit quaint now considering all the things that would follow, Iron Man’s standalone superhero thrills and significance as the foundation of the MCU still mark it as one of the best superhero films ever made.

Jacob: While I often claim that something isn’t better just because it was the first, it’s easy to make an exception for Iron Man. I wasn’t expecting much at all from this movie when I had first seen it, so imagine my surprise when I was thrilled by it. It really did start the MCU out on the right foot, due to everything in this movie being so much fun. Robert Downey Jr. steps into his role as Tony Stark and becomes him in his excellent performance. The chemistry between RDJ and Gwyneth Paltrow is some of the most believable in a comic book movie, and its introductory material into the larger world of the MCU is handled so well that it actually has some subtlety to it. Sure, Iron Man isn’t any better because it was the first, but you can’t deny the impact it has had, not only on comic book films, but on film as a whole.

2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

“Happy? We're all standing now. Bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle.”

Jacob: Guardians of the Galaxy is far and away my favorite Marvel film of all time. It really was the perfect storm of filmmaking. Chris Pratt emerges as the fantastic leading man we all knew he could be, James Gunn wrote one of the funniest and most compelling screenplays Marvel has had yet, and the soundtrack is one of the best to ever be put to film. I’ve often stated that the world and characters of Guardians of the Galaxy have begun to feel like home to me and it’s obvious why when you look at how real all of the characters feel here (even if one of them is a talking raccoon). Every development personally and in the group feels earned, and every character is lovable in their own way. I’ve gushed enough about this film for one post, but I leave naysayers with this: just try and tell me you weren’t smiling ear to ear when Star-Lord emerges blaring “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”. You can’t. Because you were.

Aaron: Man, I was smiling during that scene. Lacy was one of the few people I knew who was as excited for the release of this film as I was. I mean, combining space, Marvel, and a killer soundtrack of 70s tunes? How could this not end up amazing?! And, thanks to James Gunn’s vision and cheeky script, it did. The film not only marks Chris Pratt’s star-making role, but also introduced us all to the fantastic comedic talents of Dave Bautista as Drax. The film’s whirlwind tour of Marvel’s cosmic world and creatures is chock full of colorful visual splendor, painting it as an irreverent, Marvel-ized version of Star Wars. It does fall into forgettable MCU villain problems, even if Ronan is played by the magnificent Lee Pace, but the films mix of rockin’ music, endearing and well-developed characters, and flippant humor is more than enough to make this one of the finest Marvel films ever made. 

AND THE NUMBER ONE MARVEL MOVIE IS....

1. THE AVENGERS

“You're missing the point! There's no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it!”

Aaron: While Lacy and I both have our own personal preferences, which have shone through here and there in this ranking, The Avengers was the natural pick for the number one entry. Finally seeing all of these colorful iconic heroes unite in live-action is enough to make any comic fan absolutely giddy, and the film takes full advantage of this by exploring a breadth of unique pairings and quipy interactions possible within these group dynamic, fueled by Joss Whedon’s snappy script. Every time, from my first viewing, to my encore viewing when I accompanied Lacy as he saw it for the first time, through my countless rewatches, the film never fails to make me laugh out loud and thrill me with its expansive climatic NYC battle, backed by a rousing score from Alan Silvestri. I have a few gripes with the movie, particularly the dismissive handling of the Thor movie’s emotional ending, but considering how successful this film was at handling such an unprecedented scale for movies, these gripes matter little. The Avengers remains one of the most endlessly enjoyable superhero films ever made, and, as seen through the still unresolved Thanos cliffhanger, an excellent platform for the MCU to continue to expand its marvelous cinematic world.

Jacob: Oh man, how am I supposed to follow up after that marvelous pun? It was on that encore viewing with you that something inside me clicked. It had never even occurred to me that a movie of that scale and that quality could actually exist. I still remember turning to you and just mouthing “What?!” because of how blown my mind was. I know you often cite The Dark Knight as the film that was your gateway to cinema (see what I did there?), and if that is the vernacular we’re using, then The Avengers was mine. Without that movie there wouldn’t be a Reboot Already Underway, there wouldn’t be any reviews written by me, there wouldn’t be this very post, and my passion for cinema might never have been sparked. Much like what I said about The Amazing Spider-Man, while this isn’t any statement on the film’s quality per se, it is does help to show why I still hold this film in high regard. The dialogue is lightning fast, the action is extremely well shot (that tracking shot though), and the world it created has held my fascination ever since that day five years ago. I love this movie to pieces, and, to me, it still remains the most rewatchable entry on this list. I can’t help but marvel at it every time.

That’s it, everyone! This has been our definitive ranking of all 44 Marvel films. It remains to be seen where Spider-Man: Homecoming will land on this quality spectrum, but be sure to stay tuned for a review of that movie soon!

Be sure to follow https://jakelace.tumblr.com/ for more film reviews from Jacob. And if you want to hear more of our thoughts, as well as the thoughts of our good friend David, on various films, from new releases, to old favorites, to some of the worst films we have ever seen, be sure to check out our podcast Reboot Already Underway on Soundcloud or iTunes.