#source: jane got a gun

[breedaboyd]

Cathouse Tragedy ~ Vic Owen

Pairing: Vic Owen ☓ Samuel Adams.

Word Count: 4.1k+

CW: Anal sex, biting, cross-dressing, dom/sub, face-fucking, fisting, oral sex, period-accurate homophobia, period-accurate transphobia, prostitution.

A/N: Title from Voltaire's album, 'Riding a Black Unicorn...'.

The dusty haze hangs low over the town, a fitting backdrop to the weary souls that wander its dirt-ridden streets. The local cathouse, a ramshackle refuge of shadows and whispers, stands as a beacon for those seeking solace in the arms of paid companionship.

Within its dimly-lit confines, the air carries the scent of stale whiskey and sweat, mingling with the soft notes of a mournful piano in the corner. Samuel Adams, garbed in silk and lace, moves with a practiced grace among the patrons. Each step is measured, a dance of survival in a world where debts can cost far more than coin.

John Bishop, a man of cunning eyes and a grip that squeezes hope from the desperate, presides over this domain. Sam owes him a debt, a promise etched in blood, and so he performs this charade night after night.

Sam's gaze follows the entrance of a steady stream of cowboys and drifters, each one a reminder of the compromises made to keep afloat in this unforgiving life. He serves their wants, bearing the weight of their gazes, in this place there's no room for pride.

And then there's Vic Owen. A name that curls Sam's lip in a silent snarl because Vic is the embodiment of everything vile and loathsome. He strides in with an air of entitlement, his spurs jingling a discordant tune against the worn floorboards. His eyes gleam with a predatory hunger and Sam shudders under the weight of that gaze. With that being the case, why is this awful, cruel, disgusting man his favourite customer?

Shame colours his cheeks. Shame and something else he refuses to put a name to because Sam's want for Vic brings chaos and mayhem into his semi-ordered world. His gaze always returns to Vic with every move and gentle smile given. Vic, with his eyes that linger too long on silk and satin. Sam takes a steadying breath, his mind drifting over a myriad of possibilities at every tilt of that predatory grin.

Will Vic seek him out again tonight? God, he hopes so.

The night air is thick with a blend of sweat, whiskey and the distant promise of rain. Inside the cathouse, the atmosphere hums with a strange mix of allure and desperation. Sam — or Sammy to his clientèle — glides from table to table, his practiced smile unassuming and easy on the eyes.

"Evenin', handsome." He purrs, voice dipped in honey, as he leans in to brush a kiss against a grizzled cowboy's cheek. The man grins back, eyes gleaming with a mixture of appreciation and expectation. At another table, a young rancher clinks his glass against Sam's, the sound punctuated by a low chuckle.

Suddenly, the swing of the doors announces the arrival of two newcomers. Their boots echo loudly on the wooden floor. Sam's eyes flicker towards them, his heart sinking as he senses the trouble that they carry in with them.

"We heard they had a tranny slut in this joint." One of them sneers, eyes looking over each of the girls before stopping at Sam. "That must be you, bitch." They swarm him, hands pulling wandering, groping, intruding. The other patrons are quick to turn their gazes back to their drinks, useless bastards. It all happens so quickly.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, we'll teach ya how t'behave like a real lady soon enough." One of them grins. Sam chokes down a scream. Desperately, he squeezes his eyes shut as he's bent over the bar roughly, his nose crushed into the wood. He smells blood and he can already tell his nose is broken. Then, there's a gunshot and Sam squeezes his eyes shut.

"Reckon you gentlemen outta be leavin' 'fore I put the next slug 'tween y'ears." The warning comes with a soft tone, rich with malice. The bruising grip on his shoulders slacken and suddenly Sam's yanked up to his feet by one of the men and, God, Vic's a sight for sore eyes; all dark eyes and sinful, smirking mouth. Sam aches for him. Hates him. But would eagerly present his back for the honour of taking a fuck from him. Just not right now. All he wants to do is leave. Go home and wash off the feeling of unwanted hands on his skin.

"Shouldn't come 'tween a whore an' 'er customers, friend." One of the men says and there's a vicious edge to his words now. Sam notes the tension in Vic's jaw at the use of that word: whore.

"Sure but that there's my whore. An' y'see, I don't much like sharin'. Never learned ta. Now, I suggest you boys take y'leave." He smiles, a wolf baring its teeth. There's the click-click of the hammer pulled back on his Colt. "So get the fuck out." The air pulses with unspoken violence. Sam feels his pulse quicken, like the low hum of a storm heralded by heat. Then, suddenly, the one that grabbed him tosses him away like a ragged toy. Sam hits the ground with a thud.

"C'mon, Joel. Ain't worth it." The other man grabs his companion, dragging him towards the door. Then they leave, cursing their way out.

Vic stands there, watching, until the doors have swung shut before stowing his pistol and turning to Sam. The younger man stares up at him from the floor, hating the heat that coils in his belly at the sight. Slowly, he raises a trembling hand and brushes it against his mangled nose. Hurts something fierce.

He wobbles to his feet as the tempo of the cathouse picks up again, filled with music and cheers. He aches to taste the sweat on Vic's bronzed skin. To bite his chest and taste the tang of his seed on his tongue. Sam's knuckles go white around the shot glass placed before him, mouth dry at the thought. He downs the shot and braces his hands on either side of his nose, clicking it back into place with a pained groan.

"'Thank you, Vic. I'm fine' is what you're s'posed to say, princess. 'I'm forever in y'favour'. Like in the books an' shit, y'know?" His voice curls around Sam like cigar smoke. Yet, all the younger man can do is press a cold rag to his throbbing nose and scowl in Vic's general direction. But he's fine...mostly. Still, the words 'thank you' are lost among thoughts of tangled sheets and half-swallowed moans. Sam hates that look in Vic's eyes, like he knows exactly what the younger man's thinking. Hates that his thoughts always drift back to Vic and his rough, warm hands.

Sam tears himself from the hypnotic draw of that shit-eating grin and fights his way past drunken patrons to his backroom, where he sees his clients. He doesn't think about Vic's strong, sturdy hands gripping his hips hard enough to bruise. He doesn't think about Vic's burning gaze eating him alive with an intensity that scares him. He doesn't think about laying beneath him, fucked wide open, screaming his name as Vic fills him again and again with his cock. Vic, Vic, Vic.

Instead, he chooses to lose himself in the monotony of undressing, tearing at laces and silk until he's nude. He's not seeing anyone else tonight, damn John Bishop. Sam catches his reflection in the mirror. His face is painted with powder but beneath the paint and the rouge, he can see the ghost of a little boy he once knew, eyes haunted, skin soft. The sight brings bile to his throat. Beneath that is a man, tall and thin and angry at the world. His clothes feel like a prison. There are days where he'd sell his soul for a pair of breeches and a button-down shirt. Anything but satin and lace and cotton.

And then Vic's at his door, just watching him, drinking him in.

"Ain't the striptease half the fun?" He drawls, every bit the predator. Sam watches him in the mirror, eyes wary. Vic ducks inside and shuts the door. It locks with a click. That grin tugs at his lips again as Vic prowls forwards, fingers curling into the hair at the nape of Sam's neck. Then, he's kissing him, hard and demanding, shoving his tongue between the younger man's teeth. He tastes like blood and whiskey and cigars. "Y'smell so good, princess. Like honey an' flowers...an' cock." Vic pants against his lips. Sam opens his mouth for him, giving himself over to the sensation of it all. His mind sings with the glorious brutality of it, every nerve aches, every movement setting him on fire. God, this fucking man. If Sam could be his personal slave, he wouldn't bat an eye. "Such a pretty girl for me, ain'tcha?" Vic grins. Sam chokes out a pitiful whine at Vic's words, hating how easily Vic can coax his heart to pound so hard in his chest.

"'M a man, y'sick fuck." He breathes back, words trembling out between shaky exhales. Every scrap of self-preservation is dunked in a vat of molten want at the smug tilt of Vic's lips.

"Then show me."

And suddenly, Sam's on his knees, staring up at Vic, their gazes never breaking as he languidly pulls out his cock. It's a thick, weighty thing, oozing pre, and Sam's never been much of a swallower but all he wants is to sink his mouth onto it. He parts his lips, letting his mouth drool, letting the saliva build up around his tongue. And Vic thrusts in.

Instinctively, Sam gags on the intrusion, coughing around the base of Vic's cock. Immediately, the older man presses his palm to his temple, groaning at the wet warmth of his mouth. The head brushes the back of his throat. His world constricts into the feeling of his body refusing to give up his control. Breathe, Sammy, breathe. He inhales and Vic uses that brief second to his advantage. With a sharp, brutal thrust, he sheaths himself deep inside the tight heat of Sam's throat. The younger man can't suppress the whine that slips out and Vic echoes it, grinning wide and easy.

"Damn, y'must have been hungry, princess. Lookit that thing disappear." He hisses, tone reverent. The pressure in Sam's throat is making him weak and desperate. "That's it, darlin'. Nice an' easy." Vic groans, his voice drenched in an animal pleasure that sets Sam's own cock alight with need. His makeup's smearing across his face, dripping down his cheeks with tears, but neither of them could care less. If Sam had to hazard a guess, he'd reckon Vic likes it this way, likes seeing him debased and filthy. When Sam lets his eyes shut, drool dribbles down his chin. "That's a good, li'l' slut." Vic sighs, his breath coming harder and harder. "Good girl." When he says it, it's a term of endearment. A reward. Sam wants to sob.

Instead, Sam's tongue moves, slipping along the veiny underside and taking in the masculine salt of sweat and pre and everything that's just Vic. The older man doesn't let him up, not until Sam's so light-headed that the world tilts and shifts beneath him. And even then, Vic keeps him close, lets him breathe in the musk at the base of his cock. "Breathe, boy." He huffs out as Sam pants and gasps against him. If there's one thing he knows about the man, it's that Vic takes what he wants and damn the consequences.

And then, Vic's cumming down his throat, shooting deep into the back of Sam's throat, hunching over, growling as he fucks the younger man's face through it all. "Don't ya waste a single Goddamn drop, y'hear? Wanna see you swallow it all, princess." He snarls. Sam obeys. A thread of spit connects Vic's cockhead to Sam's reddened lips as he pulls out. Sam thinks he can hear Vic's grin, broad and cocky and cruel. "Good girl. Open up, let ol' Vic see what a good job y'did." He cups Sam's face, tracing his thumb along the younger man's swollen lips. Obediently, the younger man opens his mouth and presents his tongue, where the pearlescent strings of cum glisten. He waits for Vic's verdict. "God— Fuck, princess. Fuckin' perfect." Those words, spoken with such careless adoration, do more than any seduction could.

Sam leans forward, wrapping a hand around Vic's wrist, eyes shut, as his lips wrap around the older man's thumb. He's sure he looks quite the sight: face stained with tears and make-up, cock hard and leaking against his thigh, lips forming a seal around the digit. He swallows the load, all while paying his dues and lavishing Vic's thumb with attention. Their eyes gleam with want. "Mmmnn... Bet ya'd take anything I'd give ya, wouldn'tcha, darlin'? Precious, li'l' princess slut." He presses his thumb down against Sam's tongue, purring at the submission before drawing his now wet digit away. Vic sucks the cum-soaked digit into his mouth, tongue running over it with a low moan.

Vic pulls Sam up from the floor, nipping at his throat and marking him. The younger man whines, reaching down to stroke himself when Vic slaps his hand away, gaze firm.

"Did I say y'could do that, sweetheart?" He leers. Sam shakes his head, biting back a whimper. Vic bends him over the bed, planting a firm slap on his ass with a wicked grin. Sam bucks in the air, cock dripping onto the blankets. God, the bastard knows just how to push his buttons. Fingers dig into Sam's hair, tugging him back up so Vic can lean in close. "Get on that bed and spread y'self open. Don't wanna hurt ya when I tear that fine ass'a yours apart." Sam scrambles onto the bed, spreading his legs and reaching for the mineral oil on the nightstand, as Vic wanders to the foot of the bed, slowly stripping off his shirt. He hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his pants, tugging them lower and lower, until they drop to the ground. Then he pulls up a chair, eager for the show.

Sam slicks up his fingers with the oil and begins to spread his hole open, letting out soft, little gasps as he pushes deeper into himself. Vic's gaze is sharp as a knife, lips curved up and slightly parted in enjoyment. "Tha's it, princess. Lemme see my girl get good an' ready to take my cock." Vic grins and Sam feels himself bloom open, feels the slick clench of his inner walls clenching around his fingers. God, this is good. Good girls obey. He's heard that enough to know it's true. Sam is a good girl... Right?

He pushes his fingers right back in, two then three... Three fingers is still barely touching the sides. He's so loose from all the cocks he's taken, the fingers, fists. He's so loose and hot and slutty. "Mhm, that hits the spot, don't it?" Vic presses his thumb to his cock, stroking himself as he watches with a dark, heavy-lidded gaze. Four fingers now, and Sam moans at the delicious feeling of too much, too little, just fucking enough. He's putting on a show for Vic and his steady, approving gaze. Just for Vic. Nobody else.

And then he finds it, that sweet, little bundle of nerves, catching it with his fingertips and making his body flush with heat. He's in so deep, well over the swell of his knuckles, so he can reach it, pinch it, press it. That lovely, little button that just goes so well with the stretch of his hole, with the heavy throb of his cock, so thick between his legs, begging for release. But he can't, not before the older man fucks him first. He doesn't want the heat of Vic's gaze turned into scorn and he doesn't want to be punished because, if Vic punishes him, it means the sex'll be better but damn it'll be painful.

"'M-M so close, Vic. Can I cum? Please, please can I—" Sam doesn't want to make Vic angry, he wants to be a good girl, he wants it so bad. His body arches as he squirms against the bed.

"Nah, open up that pretty, li'l' fuckhole for me, princess." He runs a hand down his cock, ready to go again. Sam's voice cracks with his reply and his cock twitches against his stomach. He pants, reaching down to hook his fingers into his rim, pulling himself open, putting himself on display. His insides are red-raw, slick with the spend of the dozens of men he's seen over the last twenty-four hours. He's a disgusting, little whore, guts pouring out of his destroyed hole. Doesn't matter because he wants to be Vic's personal cumdump and he'll gladly take everything Vic has to give, up to and including his life. If only. "Shit, Sammy... Sweet, lil'l rosebud you got there. How many johns've you seen while you been here? I remember when y'was a virgin, all tight 'n' shy 'n' sweet. How many guys've you taken in that cum-hungry cunt'a yours over the two years we've had ya? Y'remember?"

"Over... O-Over a thousand." He chokes out the number, one he's long since memorised. He has the number in a little, black book in his nightstand; 1,567. Sam's had them all; big men, small men, rich men, poor men, young, old — he takes every cent, every cock, without complaint or hesitation. As long as they have cash because he's a whore. Because, as it turns out, plenty of guys like pretty, young men in panties with smooth chests, doll faces and a hard, slutty cock. And Vic is his favourite out of all of them.

"'S a lotta dicks, ain't it, Sammy? Lotta cum." He pauses, thinking as he pulls his head to the side, still toying with his cock. "Mm. I wonder how many'a them got ta see m'pretty girl cum..." Sam sucks at his bottom lip. And he's got a point. Johns don't give a shit about the whores, don't care for their pleasure. As long as the doll can put on a good sing-song while they're fucking, most of them just don't give a shit. But Vic? Vic makes him cum over and over and over until he's boneless, blissed out and drenched in his own sweat and tears, ears ringing, throat numb. And Vic's still tugging at his cock, licking his lips as he drinks in the sight of Sam's loose, gaping, slutty hole.

"Only you make me cum, Vic. Nobody else."

"Y'want me to make you cum, princess?"

"Please."

Then the tip of his cock pushes against his lax rim, the swollen head breaching him in one brutal thrust. The older man gives him no time to adjust, fucking into him hard, hands curled against his hips. Every thrust has Sam slamming against the headboard, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh deafening in the warm night. Sam can't help but cry out, every thrust hitting his prostate dead-on, tearing him apart.

"That's it, C'mon, darlin', take it. Lemme make ya squirt." He growls, thrusting into the slippery, sloppy clutch of Sam's guts. Desperately, Sam goes for his cock, his shaft aching for stimulation as Vic fucks up his insides. The older man slaps his hand away. "Don't need that, darlin'. Just need m'cock, don'cha?" His voice is saccharine sweet. His words pull Sam under, deep enough he can barely breathe. He's close to suffocating, drowning in heat and bliss. He hates it. Hates how Vic can give him everything he wants and more, while never being enough.

And then the trusts are deep, pounding rhythmically, undoing all that hard word, fucking the guts back into him. Vic wraps a sturdy arm around Sam's waist and props his leg against the headboard and his angle changes. He hammers his hips against Sam's lax body, driving his cock deep inside the younger man's fucked-loose hole with bruising precision. Vic's wetting his lips, sweaty and flushed, grinning and happy as he chases that little death.

His cock throbs insistently inside the tight clench of his princess's sweet, little, used-up cunt.  "Tha's my girl!" He snarls, his body shaking as he fucks into that tight warmth. The older man groans out a litany of half-formed words, the effort of speech long gone from his mind as he grinds deeper, deeper, deeper.

"V-Vic... Oh, God, f-f-fuck— Ngh— Vic! Gonna—" Sam's whines turn to screams as Vic leans down, sinking his teeth into the crook of his neck, breaking skin, tasting blood. The younger man just pants, head spinning with the pain and the heat and the fucking blinding bliss of Vic's cock pushing into him over and over. The older man's teeth are still buried in his neck when they both cum. They're animals; snarling, vicious, starving.

Heat floods Sam's guts and Vic lifts his mouth from Sam's neck with a bitten-back yell, the air thick with blood and sex. Sam can feel the wet slick of cum on his stomach, painting, staining. Vic thrusts lazily a couple of times before going still, buried deep. There's a bloody, toothy smile on his face, eyes filled with the ghost of lust. Sam smiles at the sight, body exhausted, blood smearing across his neck.

He pats a cold hand against Vic's nape, stroking idly as the aftershocks work through them, muscles jumping beneath his skin. He's leaking, a deep, rich crimson. He never feels safer than in Vic's arms, pinned beneath him, unable to move. If Sam could cut his heart out and stuff it in Vic's palm, he would. He fucking hates him but, in his arms, he feels everything at once and he doesn't have to think about tomorrow, about the masks he has to wear, about the lies he has to tell. He never has to think about anything because Vic will always be there.

And that's the greatest joke there is.

"Good girl, Sammy." The older man says softly and the younger man just shuts his eyes and soaks up the praise.

Vic never stays long but he stays longer than most johns, leaving right before dawn, after a final, biting kiss and a promise of 'next time'. Sam wonders if it's just because he and Vic have a mutual taste for rough, filthy, bloody sex. Or maybe Vic's like him deep down, lonely, desperate for physical affection. Sam falls into bed, unable to think straight. Head swimming, legs weak, whole body trembling.

After what feels like an eternity, the haze lifts. He stumbles into the communal washroom. He examines himself in the mirror, throat and neck splattered with dark, bluish-blackish bruises, and the bite mark is an angry, vivid red. The girls avoid him, eyeing him with a mixture of pity and distrust. Sam showers, washes off the grime, the semen, the sweat.

He steps back into his room, stares at himself in the mirror. Then he pulls on a chemise, slides his legs into a fresh pair of hose, re-laces a garter to his thigh, buttons himself up in a crisp, clean skirt, slips his feet into delicate, delicate slippers. Then he applies his war-paint. He dabs his bruised neck with rouge, hides his cheekbones in shadow, draws out his eyelashes with kohl. Each motion becomes a part of him.

When he's done, Sam leaves again, out on the prowl. Lures his prey into the shadows of the cathouse and hikes his skirts up. They'll fuck him but not like Vic does, not nearly as good. They'll fuck him and pay him, not enough to live on but enough to keep food in his belly and booze in his belly. They'll fuck him, john after john, until Sam's bone-tired and numb to his core and he passes out over the bar. Until next time.

In his dreams, it's a fairytale. A shit one but a fairytale nonetheless.

Vic slaps a ring in his palm, pulls him closer and kisses him rough. He'd take Sam out of the cathouse and into his bed. They'd steal kisses in behind the jailhouse, hands pawing at each other's bodies, hot and wanton. Faces close, breaths mingling, mouths seeking kisses, tasting of blood and whiskey and gunsmoke. They'd lay out under the stars and kiss and fuck. He wouldn't have to wear a dress anymore and, when he came, Vic would moan out Samuel. Everybody'd know. They'd be happy.

In his dreams, he's a good, little princess. In his dreams, he doesn't ache so bad. In his dreams, he makes Vic a better man, a man who's honest and loving but still a bit bloodthirsty. He's loved and he's happy and everything is so very good.

But it's only a dream. Maybe he's better for that.

[breedaboyd]

COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBOYD COWBO

Boyd as Vic Owen in 'Jane Got a Gun' - GIFs by me

[sharp-silver4795]

The Creepypasta’s Worst Injuries

I get some inspo from “HC Prompt” posts and that’s what I got going on rn!

⚠️DISCLAIMERS⚠️

BLOOD: Mentions of injuries (ofc), graphic details in some of them, and just blood. Weapons will be mentioned, including guns.

INJURY: the situation is explained and can be a lil uncomfortable- but idk. Severe injury or explicit imagery.

SOURCE: Some of these are product of self harm, betrayal, attempted murder, abuse, general assault, or common causes of death.

ALL SENSITIVE TOPICS WILL BE MARKED AHEAD OF IT!!!

Mild Mention > Detailed > Extreme Details > Sensitive Content

Proxy Behavior miscellaneous

Details of how the injury happened. Jumping, defenselessness, detail of scars and the origin of them. Extreme detail of how the injuries occurred, attempted murder, Marble Hornets Spoilers, ig? Car accidents/injuries

Wilson, Zechariah, Neon Spike, and Rogue will not be included. They’re too sheltered smh 🤦

Kat Hunter: he once got shot 7 times by a few police officers. The other proxies came to his rescue.

Kate the Chaser: once got cornered by Bloody Angel and Scarecrow. She ended up bloodied due to being scratched, hacked at, stabbed, and all sorts of things. The most prominent ones were on her face and thigh. Bloody Angel had kept grabbing her legs to keep her from getting away. Bloody Angel has claws. Scarecrow has gloves very similar to that of Rouge and clawed down Kate’s face. Kate’s face was exposed in the first place because she got hot and couldn’t breathe, so she was jumped basically.

Brian/Hoodie: Fell from a two story building… duh

Tim/Masky: got into a tussle with Alex…

Ticci Toby: Car accident. Even though he didn’t feel the physical pain.

Depression

graphic/horrific death, freak accidents, Self harm, attempted suicide, Religious stuff/demons, mourning

Nathan the Nobody: Masky rocked his shit.

BEN Drowned: accidentally electrocuted himself and couldn’t stop glitching and getting bent and twisted

Eyeless Jack: he does by biting his own tail and literally exploding his organs-

Clockwork: she got skewered, but somehow survived.

Jeff, Jane, and Nina the Killer: burned alive ofc

Puppeteer: Liu wears a rosary to remember his mother…

Liu Woods: when he was alive, he used scissors to cut at his shoulders and chest. He cut at his arms, legs, and abdomen as well. He nearly bled out in his bathroom.

Zero: she stabbed herself with glass shards cuz she had a mental breakdown

Kagekao: purposely ran into oncoming traffic.

This is what happens when you mess with kids

severe injury/free amputation

Jason the Toymaker: kid ripped out a ton of his hair and made his head bleed

Laughing Jack: got his arms cut off somehow- they grew back tho

Laughing Jill: a parent hit her upside the head and her own chainsaw went through her chest and abdomen

Clumsy Bitches

Mutilation, stupidity , how the fuck did they survive this shit? segments of body being removed and explicit injury mention(?), Experiments, self inflicted injury

Ani the Wight: existing in summer heat

Chess Master: boinked his head, tripped, and landed on the grass… off of a 10m tall tree

Candy Pop: fell off a building. He’s clumsy.

Bloody Painter: he jumped off a building and landed safely, then stepped on a bear trap. How does that even happen?!

Bloody Angel: her whole thing is that she got mutelated into a monseter by a crazy circus… do the math.

X-Virus: while working on a project and it exploded in his face. So, he now has giant burn scars on his face, neck, and chest.

Judge Angels: Rouge kicked her ass and she has claw-like gloves. She ended up with scars on her face for a long while.

Scarecrow: Hoodie once cut her in half with a tree branch.

Doll Maker: Stabbed himself in the eye

Divider Creds: Sister Lucifer; adorneswithlight

Header Creds: ME!!!

[respectthepetty]

Not a Review: Manner of Death - Manga Version

I got the manga versions of Manner of Death that were released in 2023, and y'all . . .

This is wild bananas! Bun has an older brother and ex-boyfriend in Bangkok even though he is in the closet and dating women as a cover. Tan is younger, has a sick mother, and he thought Jane died by suicide because she was sad he was gay. Bodies are dropping dead left and right until the very end. Sorn and That aren't even side crumbs because they are just a crumb, as in one single crumb and nothing else. Oh, and the inspector is married, to a woman.

Pretty sure it follows the novel closely, so congratulations to Screenwriter Title, who was also behind He's Coming to Me, Dark Blue Kiss, Love Stage, and Low Frequency, for condensing the novel and making the series into a BL because looking at (a version of) the source material, Title really balanced this bad boy out for the show.

Combined, the two volumes are over 500 pages, which, once again, even though they aren't the original novel, probably are close to it, and there is constantly something happening on every single page. If this is how the novel was, trimming it down to a fourteen-episode series took skill. I loved Manner of Death, but people had issue with some of the plot holes in the series. However, compared to these versions of the original novel, the show is very focused and balanced.

These two volumes are enjoyable. I'm glad I have them to add to my small manga collection of BL favorites with Old Fashion Cupcake and Our Dining Table, but this journey is a lot. Seriously, Bun walks out to the balcony after having sex with Tan on the very last page since they got engaged in New York after reconciling two pages before, and a body falls from the sky. The End.

I know Tan proposed to Bun by pretending they were being taken hostage with guns pointed at their heads in the series, but . . . it wasn't a dead body jumping out of nowhere, you know?

Now I see how Dead Friend Forever aligns with Sammon's style, which is a non-ending ending where something ends, then starts again. That also happened in Make a Wish. And I ain't mad at it! It's just a lot, all at once, constantly. But it helps me appreciation the show more. I got two gay men who never felt bad about being gay and scoffed with the inspector even suggested they were straight. I got murder-mystery and romance. And I got a settled ending with Tan and Bun married.

Oh, and I got that kiss in the very beginning.

So this isn't a review. It's an appreciation post.

Because Manner of Death, the series, is solid.

[omniblades-and-stars]

WIP WEDNESDAY or some shit I dunno I'm not your real dad.

Bare feet thumped mutely on the decking behind them, moving at a sprint.

"Shepard!"

The Commander swung around, gun raised and finger carefully poised over the trigger. There was nothing.

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked Zaeed and Jack, searching back and forth across the space in the tight, modular laboratory set up in the corpse of a Reaper.

"Nothing but our boots, Shepard," the bounty hunter assured, but still carefully checked back in the direction they had been walking even as he said so. There wasn't enough space in front or behind for anything to get moving as fast as she'd heard.

"Didn't hear shit," Jack muttered with a shrug. "Can we get a move on? This place creeps me the fuck out."

"Yeah, let's keep moving," Jane replied and narrowed her eyes, checking behind them before taking point again and moving forward into the airlock that led into the greater, open area of the Reaper ship.

The ground shifted beneath their feet, nearly throwing them off balance and onto the floor. There was the unmistakable noise of a mass effect core cycling power. Jane would know it anywhere, and she had not imagined it.

"Normandy to shore party!" Joker hailed them over the comm.

"What's going on, Joker?" Jane asked through gritted teeth, regretting every choice she had ever made that led her here, to this moment. Standing inside of a dead Reaper that was clearly not dead enough.

"The Reaper's put up a kinetic barrier. I don't think we can get through from this side."

"Stuck on a fucking Reaper ship, Shepard?" Jack asked with barely contained disbelief.

Jane pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to three before resolving, "We'll turn it off from in here, this thing has to have an off switch somewhere. Right?" Please let it have an off switch.

"Don't leave."

Shepard twisted, searching for the source of the voice in her ear.

"At the moment of activation, I detected a heat spike in what is likely the wreck's mass effect core. Sending the coordinates now," EDI answered. "Be advised, this core is also maintaining the Reaper's altitude."

"Excellent. Just what I was hoping for. We hit the power button, we fall inside of a planet," Jane responded, exasperated and worried.

Joker cut in, "And that means everyone dies. Yeah, I got it."

Shepard motioned for Zaeed and Jack to ready up as she hit the button for the airlock door. "Joker, if you get us out of here, I'll throw you a party, the kind with strippers and lots of liquor." Perhaps if she joked, the scrape of fingernails at the back of her neck and the whispers in her ear wouldn't feel so real.

"You're the best, Commander."

"Shepard."

She led the trio into the belly of the beast. The angles inside the Reaper were wrong. There was so much space between the catwalk and the vaulted ceiling, and yet the slope of the walls gave her the impression that they were closing in on them. Long, enormous cables ran along almost every surface, and bright, white light shone out from the cavernous depths. Everything was tinged with a wrongness that set her teeth on edge. They walked in the mausoleum of a cruel and uncaring god, disturbing its rest.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Do you understand?"

Her head snapped to the side, "What did you say?"

"You're so tired. Don't leave."

"Shit, Shepard, no one's said anything. You doing okay?" Jack asked, her eyebrows raised high, not bothering to hide her concern.

Jane clenched her teeth tight enough that her jaw ached. They shouldn't be here. It was wrong. Shadows moved in the periphery of her vision and -

This time, the slap of bare feet on thin, grated metal was undeniable, real. Shepard spun on her heel and blew the screaming husk into a mess of shredded "skin" and that strange, unnatural fluid that was definitely not blood. "They're coming over the sides!" she shouted, pointing at human shapes, climbing in distinctly inhuman ways up and over safety rails.

"Aren't you tired of the fight, Shepard? Is submission not preferable to death?"

[kayssweetdreams]

The Perfect Finale Ch15

On Trisha Jane's mark, the Negabosses, while still extremely reluctant, began to make lots and LOTS of noise. This drew the attention of Yin, who still was waiting for Kaylo to read the map, unknowing that she had been able to HEAR the Wonderworld Map now, and has actually been playing dumb. The pink haired girl couldn't let Yin find out that she had found Wonderworld's power source, but she couldn't do much...especially with Yin breathing down her back.

Yin glared upwards. "Oh. We have GUESTS." He growled, grabbing what appeared to be a strange type of gun. "By the time I get back, you better have figured out how to read that map. OR ELSE." He threatened, glaring at Kaylo before making his way up to the upper levels of the crater. Kaylo swallowed a gulp, How could anyone know that she was here?...unless...

Meanwhile, With Yin...

The Banished Maestro stomped up the steps of the crater. He was so close. He was SO close to finding the source of Wonderworld's power, so close to completing Project X. And there was no way that some pathetic, nosy human would stand in his way-

He stopped for a moment. And focused on the sound. He suddenly began to Grin. He gave a Grin that would make a serial killer shiver. "Hehe...Well Well. I guess the Pink Haired Brat's pleading heart called my home. Might as well visit my old stomping grounds." He said, before launching himself up into the air.

Yin smiled. It's time to pay a visit to his old "Home"

Meanwhile, Back Outside...

The Negabosses were still making as much noise as they possibly could to draw out Yin. Although, they were all pretty terrified of this as well...and could you blame them? They were all about to be face to face with the same maestro that made all of Wonderworld miserable for everyone.

Fortie hid inside of Fortsepher, shivering as he himself held a chainsaw as protection should Yin try anything. "Fortie! We all have to be doing this! Get out of me!" Fortsepher shouted. "NO! I'm not crazy enough to go up against Yin!" The pawn shouted. "Fortie. We're gonna eventually have to face him...so there's no use in delaying the inevitable.

"Well...Look at it this way. Maybe all those years Banished from Wonderworld did a number on him, and maybe he won't have all of his-" a powerful blast of wind knocked them all back, causing them all to give screams of fear. When they landed and got their bearings back, they looked up in fear at the one who had caused it.

"Why Hello Negabosses...is that any way to greet a maestro?"

Trisha Jane belongs to @lovelyteng

[hannahhook7744]

Isle kid Moodboards revamped part 2;

Marya Grigorievna Rasputin, the 20 year old daughter of Grigori Efimovic Rasputin and Baba Yaga (bartok the magnificent).

One of the medics of Harriet Hook's crew.

Lover of skeletons, magic, taxidermy, bugs, roses, and whiskey cake.

Not too great st speaking English.

Bestfriend of Big Murphy and Claudine Frollo.

Currently single.

Reza Vizer, the 15 year old son of the former Royal Astronomer of Agrabah and a harem girl as well as the adoptive son of Mozenrath and Sadira. Older brother of Omar and Alya.

He is the forensics expert of the Badun Detective Agency and is rivals with Carlos De Vil as well as a student at Dragon Hall.

He's good with swords, daggers, guns, tea, and breaking and entering, and He always acts like he is the smartest in the room (which he is most of the time) and doesn't like it when that title is challenged because he has earned that title.

He also doesn't like it when people treat him like he's less than Carlos, which is why he didn't join the Anti-heroes club (because it was being run by Yen Sid who is not found of him at all).

He is dating Yzla Sorcerer of Enchancia.

Claudine Esther-May Frollo, the 19 year old daughter of Claude Frollo.

She is homeschooled and apart of Harriet's crew, the Bad Apples, and the Anti-heroes club. She is also the bell ringer at Dragon Hall.

She is left handed and a redhead who loves science, art, music, sweets, and things being fair. Which of course while paired with her beauty did not bode well for her due to how her father is.

She works at her father's crepes shop and is dreaming of the day she can escape with her friends.

She has a thing for Lefou Deux.

Richard 'Rick' Perseus Ratcliffe, the 21 year old son of Governor John Ratcliffe.

He is apart of Harriet's crew, The LeGume Hunting Club, and The Bad Apples.

He and his dad do not get along at all due to many factors—like his dad being racist and naming him after his dog. If anyone dare mention the origin of his middle name, they will get a black eye from him.

He had his own pug named Prometheus.

Once when he and Clay Clayton were young and rough housing, he accidentally knocked the other man out of a second story window at Hook's inlet. They're still friends though, surprisingly.

He also has a habit of saving people from water sources like John Smith, much to his father's annoyance.

He has two younger siblings (Rachel and Rory) and is very protective of them as well as the kids of his father's former crewmates who got stuck on the isle with him.

He is dating Mad Maddy.

Claymore 'Clay' Comrade Clayton, The 20 year old son of William Clayton.

He is a member of the Bad Apples, Harriet's crew, and The LeGume Hunting Club.

Though unlike his dad he doesn't enjoy poaching or being crueler than necessary when hunting because it makes him uncomfortable, so he avoids doing it.

He loves graffiti and sailing and the jungle as well as tree climbing, rope swinging—on vines—, and partying. He also likes carving his intails into things and rough housing.

Especially with Rick and Anthony.

He and Rick once overdid it and he ended up getting thrown through a window, which no one has let them live down since.

He and his dad have a volatile relationship, which is arguably better than what most kids on the isle have, though those in Auardon would argue that that's still bad. He gets along alot better with his aunt and brothers though and has no clue who his mother maybe.

He has no problem with speaking his mind, which gets him in trouble often. He has tons of weapons as well as a stuffed grollia and would get along swimmingly with Tarzan and Jane, and their family. Especially their son, Taylor, who is just as rambunctious as he is.

He doesn't have the best grades but he's a good person and arguably Ginny's conscious, and that's all that matters, right?

Also he's terrified of getting hung like his dad and the idea of drowning again.

He's protective of his younger brothers, Cassius and Wilson, and is dating Ginny Gothel.

Jadeana 'Jade' of Agrabah, the 19 year old daughter of Nasira and the niece of Jafar.

She is in Harriet's crew and is the messenger of the isle, so no one really messes with her.

She's a bit of a loner but when she cares about people, she cares about them deeply—i.e. Jay. She'd help him steal so he could stock Jafar's shop quicker and so he would get hit or have to sleep outside. She rarely ever goes near Jafar's shop—since her mom who isn't all bad strictly forbade it—but when she does, it's to see Jay.

She was heartbroken when Jay left without saying goodbye but slowly over time she's gotten angry and bitter and resentful because she thinks he forgot about her.

She likes crocodile wrestling since it's an easy way to get out her aggression and she has two pets—a snake named Hassan and a parrot named Tygo.

She has magic but goes to Dragon Hall because she thinks the witch school is pointless on the isle.

Oh and she's dating Jonas Olympian (a member of Uma's crew).

Hermione 'Hermie' Leona Bing, the 14 year old daughter of The Ringmaster and Miss Atlantis.

She is a member of the Badun Detective Agency and as well as the Anti-heroes club.

She was an orphan by 7 and left to run what was left of her father’s circus on the isle.

She lives by herself with her animals in her father’s old trailer by the woods where the circus tents and trailers are located.

She is known as an animal whisperer and a Jack of all trades on the isle because she can do nearly every circus act there is.

She obsessed with circus related things—ESPECIALLY clowns.

She is in denial about the true nature of her parents' deaths and is emotionally and mentally unstable due them.

She has quite a sweet tooth—especially when it's traditionally considered circus food.

She collects glass figures as well as odd/deformed furniture, toys, and photos (along with just vintage photos in general) and loves colorful things.

She also loves reading, filing, painting, dagger throwing, acrobatics, gymnastics, dancing, playing games, and taking care of animals.

Her and Eddie Balthazar are dating.

Edmund 'Eddie' Seraiah Balthazar, the 15 year old son of Sarah Dear /Aunt Sarah and Edgar Balthazar.

He is apart of the Anti-heroes club and the Badun Detective agency.

He has alot of old school hobbies like croquet and crochet, golf, birdwatching, and collecting things. Things like stamps, coins, and bugs. He likes reading and listening to music and writing and he loves picnics, sewing, and knitting.

He had a litter of kittens that he adores as well as a motorcycle.

He also likes red wine, coffee, tea, champagne, slushie, hard candy, chicken pot pie, cigar, and toast with beans. Not that his parents know that he likes alcohol.

He usually shows little more than indifference to those outside his inner circle and has been taking care of his elderly parents (and their pets) since he was 9.

He is dating Hermie Bing.

Gaston Junior and Gaston the 3rd LeGume, the 21 year old sons of Gaston LeGume and Laurette. Aka Junior and Bronze.

They are hard heads lacking in education because of their father and can hold one hell of a grudge (as well as an ox) but have hearts of gold. When it comes to the people they care about that is.

They are both members of Harriet's crew and have many shared (and differing) hobbies.

They are very protective of their little brother (and sister) and their little cousins, even if they love getting under their skin at times.

Junior is dating Daphne Tremaine and Bronze is dating Sammy Smee.

Also Junior has a bad leg from trying to ram through the barrier with his dad.

Gemma Enchtra LeGume, the 3 year old (by d3) daughter of Gaston and the Enchantress. She is the younger half sister of the Gaston twins and Gil as well as the younger cousin of LeFou Deux, Claire Bimbette, and La Foux Doux (by default).

She is every bit as good, innocent, and bubbly as Gil is. She loves Magic, fruit, candy, roses, lifting rocks, animals, the forest, mirrors, and adores her older siblings and cousins with all her heart. She also loves her parents too despite not knowing them all too well.

Oh and she likes weight-lifting, though her elder family members don't allow her to do it.

And she loves mirrors as well and carries around the doll that her brothers and LeFou Deux made her.

She is my oc based on the toddler from d1.

[daeranilen]

Honestly, the more I think about Ogino “I kill for the concept” Ryo putting Jane Austen’s ostensible (seriously, is there a legitimate source for this?) last words on his gun, the more I think this man absolutely believes “I want nothing but death” is the hardest shit anyone could ever say before they went out, and not the words of an extremely ill woman either making a bleak joke or just fully giving up.

Ogino tells Rei that killing allows him to answer questions like, “What is this person’s reason for being? What will he see as his life passes before his eyes? What’s the thing he cares about more than anything?” These questions are fundamentally about living, but living is messy. Human. It lacks aesthetic sensibility. He’s curious about it, but he doesn’t much care for it. The answers he collects are mundane desires that he can’t relate to.

But “I want nothing but death”? I have zero doubt that he admires the conceptual purity of that answer. After all, what does Ogino want in life? Nothing but death - to kill, and to assert his mastery over life through that killing. This is why he claims to kill “for the concept,” why he tells Rei he’s checking the answers to his questions, why he collects last words. He ends a life and renders it inert and therefore knowable, something he can grasp in its entirety and then tuck away as a precise little note in his grim little notebook. Like our leads, he hasn’t really got normal living figured out, but he’s certainly decided his approach to mastering it.

Ogino Ryo has not read Jane Austen. He’s a pseudo-intellectual who sees a kindred spirit in a woman whose “last words” he probably stumbled on in a coffee table collection of famous quotes about death. If somehow these last few episodes reveal he’s actually got literary inclinations, I will eat my English literature textbook.

[marvelrarepairbingo]

We're getting closer to the next round as the days get colder and the nights grow longer in the upcoming season. However, in the spirit of the bingo, we've got some great stories to share with everyone under the cut below! Thanks to everyone who has been coming along with us for the ride on this bingo :)

Title: Beside my bed I keep a bottle of dreams Author/Artist: Chaoticgardenbread Card #: MRP-029 Square Filled: I5: in the back of a police car Pairing: Logan/Pietro Maximoff Rating: Teen Warnings: N/A Summary: Basically how Quicksilver and Wolverine might’ve met in an alternate universe. Word Count: 3933 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49855192

Title: The Valentine's Viking Author:  Blizzard_Fire Card #: MRP-032 Square Filled: I5: Spilling His Drink on His Crush Pairing: Bruce Banner/Thor Rating: Mature Warnings: No powers au, humour, fainting, alcohol, brief stripping scene Summary: At Jen's Galentine's party, Bruce has a close encounter with a Viking stripper. Word Count: 2920 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49408279

Title: A day in the life Author:  sadbi-hours Card #: MRP-035 Square Filled: Free Square Pairing: Steve Rogers/ Darcy Lewis/ Bucky Barnes Rating: Gen Warnings: N/A Summary: N/A Word Count: N/A Link: https://www.tumblr.com/sadbi-hours/727398248455782400/title-a-day-in-the-life-pairing-steve-rogers?source=share

Title: Fall Traditions Author: 42donotpanic Card #: MRP-038 Square Filled: N4: Hedge Maze Pairing: Clint Barton/Matt Murdock Rating: Gen Warnings: n/a Summary: Kate and Yelena have invited their friends to go on a day-trip with them. Clint doesn't quite understand how a mace made out of corn is supposed to work. Word Count: 830 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50617384

Title: The Heart Of The Mountain Squares Filled: Marvel Rare Pair Bingo (MRP-051): I1, Glitter/Sparkles Author: ibelieveinturtles Fandom: MCU Pairing: James "Bucky" Barnes/Brock Rumlow, Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow Rating: T Tags/Warnings: Dragons, Pirates Summary: Bucky slowly shifts to meet Brock's worried gaze. "Do you ever feel like-" he pauses, then starts again. "It's like I've been homesick my whole life, but I didn't even know it." "There's a reason for that," Brock says, "and I promise to explain everything, but we gotta take care of the eggs first." Word Count: 2047 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27076348/chapters/126206494

Title: Thoughts On Soulmates (Soulmate For The New Year, Ch 2) Squares Filled: Marvel Rare Pair Bingo (MRP-051): G2, Emotional Vulnerability AU Author: ibelieveinturtles Fandom: MCU Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis, Steve Rogers/Peggy Carter, Jane Foster/Thor Rating: G Tags/Warnings: Soulmate AU, Soultember, No powers AU Summary: While Darcy starts the long journey home, Peggy is enjoying a quiet evening at home with friends, both old and new. Word Count: 2327 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49880440/chapters/126623965 Title: Affectionate gesture Author:  Annie Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: B2: “Weird Affectionate Gesture” Pairing: Brock Rumlow X Sinthea Schmidt (Love) Rating: Teen Warnings: Weird present, guns, Brock tries to being romantic Summary: Brock wants to show Sinthea how much he loves her. Word Count: 636 words Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/725628464562126848/affectionate-gesture

Title: Opening the heart. Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: B3: “Zombie Apocalypse AU” Pairing: Wanda Maximoff X Victor von Doom (Love) Rating: Teen Warnings: Mention of characters’ death, zombie apocalypse Summary: Wanda and Victor talk about some stuff that happened at the beginning of the apocalypse. Word Count: 736 words Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/725809040160178176/fic

Title: A (not) good cake slice. Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: B4: “Sharing a really decadent piece of cake” Pairing: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers (Friendship) Rating: Teen Warnings: horrible piece of cake, refuse the service in a cafeteria Summary: Wanda and Steve wanted to talk and enjoy a slice of cake. Word Count: 632 words Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/726262042202357760/a-not-good-cake-slice

Title: “Are we friends?” ”I don’t think so” Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: B5: “Roommates” Pairing: Ororo Munroe & Lorna Dane (Friendship) Rating: Teen Warnings: Arguing, the school was damage, sharing a bedroom Summary: Lorna and Ororo have to share Ororo’s bedroom, what could be the problem? Word Count: 562 words Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/726443248754819072/are-we-friends-i-dont-think-so-title-are

Title: “Stuffed animals” Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: I1: “Favorite stuffed animal” Pairing: The divine pairing (Love) Rating: Teen Warnings: Stuffed animals, fluff Summary: Tandy and Tyrone talk about childhood memories. Word Count: 532 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/729432911017836544/stuffed-animals

Title: Bewitched crossroads Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: I2: Blue collar warlock Pairing: Morgan le Fay X Stephen Strange (Love) Rating: Teen Warnings: Summary: Sad ending, forbidden love Word Count: 502 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/729614115112435712/bewitched-crossroads

Title: Stargazing love Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: I3: “Lying in a field stargazing” Pairing: Crystal Amaquelin X Pietro Maximoff (Love). Rating: Teen Warnings: Stargazing, walking in the woods, love declaration, fluff. Summary: A special starry night for Pietro and Crystal. Word Count: 542 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/729795302492717056/stargazing-love

Title: “Against the ghost” Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: Ghostbusters AU Pairing: Reed Strucker X Caitlin Strucker (Love). Rating: Teen Warnings: Ghost, ghostbusters. Summary: Reed and Caitlin will save their children, no matters what. Word Count: 551 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/730248306131976192/against-the-ghost

Title: “Trapped in the unknown” Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: I5: “Scary encounter: someone with creepy long arms than can reach you anywhere” Pairing: Sue Storm X Victor von Doom (Love). Rating: Teen Warnings: Scary encounter, horror. Summary: Sue and Victor found a very scary being. Word Count: 618 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/730429488689709056/trapped-in-the-unknown

Title: Staff unveiled Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: N1: “Tarot: the high priestess” Pairing: Tina Minoru X Robert Minoru (Love). Rating: Teen Warnings: Argue, decisions. Summary: Tina and Robert make an important decision. Word Count: 528 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/730610684804628480/staff-unveiled

Title: Old pets Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: N2: “Pets” Pairing: Anna Marie D’Ancanto & James Howlett (Friendship). Rating: Teen Warnings: Pets, little sad maybe. Summary: Rogue and Logan talked about their pets. Word Count: 549 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/730705047839817728/old-pe

Title: “Soul enemies” Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: Free Square Pairing: Brock Rumlow X Sinthea Schmidt (Love). Rating: Teen Warnings: Pets Summary: Is Brock against his number one enemy. Word Count: 564 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/730883460012621824/soul-enemies

Title: “Temple in the forest” Author:  Annie/nekoannie-chan Card #: MRP-066 Square Filled: N4: Into the forest Pairing: Lorna Dane & Steve Rogers (Friendship). Rating: Teen Warnings: Enchanted forest, magic Summary: There’s something strange in the forest. Word Count: 681 Link: https://nekoannie-chan.tumblr.com/post/731063656962506752/temple-in-the-forest

Title: daydreaming, and little falls Author:  Xenomorphic Card #: MRP-086 Square Filled: G1: Getting lost in the woods Pairing: Sharon Carter/Natasha Romanoff Rating: Teen Warnings: None Summary: Sharon and Natasha become separated from the others after a fight. Word Count: 820 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49983418

Title: cotton candy pink and a hint of mint Author:  Xenomorphic Card #: MRP-086 Square Filled: B3: Wildly dyed hair Pairing: Yelena Belova/Wanda Maximoff Rating: Teen Warnings: None Summary: Wanda stops short by the empty door frame that leads from the hallway to the receiver just as she spots Yelena, dressed in her usual casual chic as if there wasn’t a snowstorm picking up outside, and stares, suddenly speechless. Word Count: 1300 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50805199

Title: The Journey to Love Author: scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: O3: Cock Warming Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark Rating: Explicit Warnings/Tags: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Honeymoon, Self-Reflection, Cock Warming, Sexual Content, Romance, Tony Stark-centric, Enemies to Lovers, Romantic Fluff Summary: Tony reflects on the chemistry between him and Bucky and how in that journey Tony and Bucky took to finding each other and falling into love. Word Count: 1849 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50042902

[autisticsupervillain]

FTF: Isekai Invasion

The show where we take a character and drop them into a different franchise at a random location to see if they can conquer the world.

This Episode....

Mary Jane Watson invades Mount Massive Asylum!

Conditions:

Insomniac Games's Mary Jane

MJ as of Spider-Man 2 with all her associated equipment.

MJ will be replacing Miles Upshur in the plot of the original Outlast with all the same goals. If she can escape the Asylum alive with all the evidence needed to bring Murkoff to justice, that will count as a win.

MJ cannot call in the Spider-Men or anyone else for help.

Scenario:

The same set up as Outlast but with MJ replacing Miles Upshur. Mary Jane Watson, reporter for the Daily Bugle, gets an anonymous email from a burner account about the atrocities being committed by Murkoff at Mount Massive and goes in to investigate. MJ speculates that the building has a jammer when she mysteriously losses all signal after getting in range, but she pushes on regardless. It is only after MJ can no longer get out the way she came in that she realizes the building has been overrun, leaving her no choice but to push in deeper.

Invader: MJ

Mary Jane Watson. One of the most iconic damsels and love interests in comic book history. Though iconic for her role as damsel in distress in the Rami movies, Insomniac's Mary Jane is more in line with her comic counterpart. She's a freelance reporter capable of kicking as much ass as her superhuman boyfriend sometimes and she'll do anything to unbury the truth.

She's surprisingly an expert in stealth and infiltration. She's snuck into the compounds of crime lords like Tombstone and Hammerhead, snuck past the international mercenaries of Silver Sable and her men, and avoided capture by Kraven the Hunter's mercenaries. Using her boyfriend's Spider Lures as a distraction, she's even managed to break into the Oscorp undetected.

While writing a book on the country of Symkaria, MJ got some self defense training from Silver Sable herself, as well as a fancy new taser that can drop a goon in one shook. She later upgraded this taser gun with Peter's gadgets, allowing it to shoot webs and shoot sonic blasts loud enough to ward off a symbiote behemoth. With these tools, she's able to take down Kraven's hunters, who are strong enough to kick down steel doors with a single kick snd survive rpg rockets exploding in their face. These are the same rockets that usually explode with an energy equivalent to 650 kilojoules.

Source:

What's more, MJ is fast enough to dodge arrows from a hunter's crossbow, which csn travel up to 350 feet per second or 106.68 meters per second.

Source:

Honestly, Mary Jane Watson is kind of a badass. She's escaped from being captured by Kraven's hunters, fought her way through a symbiote hive, outrun a Symbiote controlled Spider-Man trying to kill her, and managed to fight off the control of the Scream Symbiote, with some help from Peter.

This MJ is a far cry from the damsel in distress she's stereotyped as and she's just as vital a member of Spider-Man's team as the Spider-Men themselves.

Invaded: Mount Massive

The Murkoff Corporation could never be said to have had a sterling reputation. The company had an unofficial history of human experimentation and exploitation. Never on American soil, of course. Never anywhere that the American public would actually care about. Not until they bought out Mount Massive Asylum.

Because if there's one group that Americans care about less than foreigners, it's the mentally ill.

Murkoff wanted to exploit the theories of the retired Nazi Dr. Wernicke by diving into dream theory. The enlisted him in their Morphogenic Engine program, hoping to summon, empower, and control the nanotechnological ghost known only as the Walrider. To this end, the experimented on the mentally ill, physically and psychologically torturing them. Turning the compatible into human engines so their nightmares could fuel the god they wished to enslave while leaving the incompatible to rot and die. Even loyal members of the company, like executive Richard Trager and Father Martin Archimbaud, were used as test subjects at the earliest convenience. The variants, as they were called, begain to mutate and deform. Tumors formed over their bodies, clogging their mouths and block their eyes. Their hair begain to fall out and they emancipated into borderline skeletons.

The variants pre-existing conditions worsened. At best, they became catatonic and unresponsive to the outside world. At worst, they became violent and murderous.

And then they found a subject fully compatible with the Walrider. Able to sustain it, control it, and survive as its host. Billy Hope. As soon as he was in control, all hell broke loose. The Variants broke out and happily took their revenge on their tormentors. Scientists and security alike were butched like pigs, heavily armed soldiers were impaled on pikes. And the Walrider was set free.

Notable Variants include the likes of Eddie Glusken, a misogynistic serial killer who was only made worse by the Morphogenic Engine. Granted superhuman strength by the treatments, he was now strong enough to lift a full grown man off the ground with one arm. "Doctor" Richard Trager was now strong enough to cut off limbs, decapitate his victims, and cut open the gates to the elevator with his giant scissors. And every varienty in the build was now strong enough to bash down doors and kill reporter Miles Upshur, who survived a massive explosion that blew him out a window. An explosion thst generated an energy equivalent to 11,840 kilojoules.

Source:

But the most dangerous Variant in the entire building was Chris Walker. Once a simple war veteran suffering from severe PTSD, Chis became a killing machine with an enhanced sense of smell, hearing, and sight that could let him track down his victims even in the dark. Obsessed with containing the threat of the Walrider, Chris's judo skills and military training make him a veritable beast, capable of easily ripping Miles's head clean off with one hand and bashing down reinforced steel doors.

But even he is still just a man next to the Walrider. A futuristic marvel of nanotechnology that feeds off the dreams of its host to survive, the Walrider can fly, go through walls, go through your pores and rip you apart from the inside, and is nigh-invisible to the naked eye, only complely visible on night vision cameras or during the day.

The only issue, however, is that the Walrider is completely submissive to the will of its perfect host, reliant on them to survive. And if its host is not perfect, as Miles Upshur turned out to be, they will be reduced to a walking corpse overtime by the possession.

Mount Massive Asylum represents one of the biggest atrocities committed in the name of corporate greed. A warcrime that even drew the digust of the Nazi forced to work on it. No one cares about "a building full of forgotten lunatics". Let it burn, I say.

Throwdown Breakdown:

The stats on this one are rather interesting. Miles Upshur is 11x more durable than the goons MJ can one-shot, meaning every single thug in the building is going to be strong enough to rip MJ apart if they get their hands on her, seeing how Miles is almost completely helpless against them.

But, none of the Variants have ever demonstrated superhuman speed, meaning they're absolutely never catching MJ, who can move fast enough to dodge subsonic projectiles. Sure, Chris Walker is fast, but MJ is faster than a speeding car. If he doesn't get the drop on her or corner her, he's not getting his hands on her.

Then there's MJ's other gadgets. Her sonic blasts will likely have no effect, as they're specifically designed to fight Symbiotes and ordinary humans are unaffected. At most, I could see them potentially stunning Chris Walker due to his advanced hearing. MJ's noise devices could be a good distraction, but her taser could likely be tanked due to how much stronger the Variants are. On the flipside, I don't see any of the varients breaking free of her webbing. This is the exact same webbing Peter regular uses to lift cars and restrain his supervillains. That's a bit out of the league of most Variants. Meaning she could probably skip Trager's whole segment by webbing him to the wall, which is admittedly funny.

This is compounded by MJ's far superior stealth. Walker might be a military veteran, but MJ's snuck past some of the best international mercenaries on the planet. It's no contest on that front, even with Chris's enhanced senses.

It's with the Walrider that this becomes tricky.

The Walrider isn't invisible or intangible in the same way, say, a ghost is. It's basically a cloud of microscopic nanites. It's difficult to spot and touch because it's a very thin cloud. For most people in most circumstances, it's difficult to spot until it's basically right in front of you, at which point it's too late to escape. This means that I'm pretty confident in it getting through MJ's webs, even if some of its components get stuck.

The issue is how damn fast MJ is. The second it appears in her face, she's gone halfway down the hall. It doesn't help that it prefers to throw its victims around before killing them, which would only give MJ the opportunity to escape.

I think the Walrider could easily end MJ's run if it got the drop on her. Which it very well could. It got the drop on Miles several times and he actually has the means to see it coming in less than optimal conditions, something MJ wouldn't without a night vision camera.

But, this is where MJ's superior stealth comes into play. With a sneaking ability far superior to Miles and a speed that the Walrider can't keep up with, MJ could avoid getting ambushed by the Walrider by never getting found by it in the first place.

There are plenty of scenarios where MJ gets ripped apart or, worse, possessed by the Walrider. But there are more where MJ uses her superior stealth and speed to avoid it long enough to complete her mission. And once she kills Billy Hope, whose sitting helpless in a tube at this point, the Walrider wouldn't be able to make her a new host to survive due to her just being too fast for it to catch.

Overall, I think Ms. Watson has all the skills she needs to get the scope she's after.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Mary Jane Watson!

[genieofthebooks]

Incorrect quotes Ft. Mercy and Talia

Jane/Penny will just be called Jane as it is slightly easier for this.

(Gus as Mischa, I just couldn't find a group photo with everyone together)

Ricky: The floor is lava

Ocean: *Helps Constance on the table*

Mercy: *Kicks Mischa off the sofa

Jane: *Lies on the floor*

Ricky: Are you okay?

Jane: No

__

Ocean: Look from the outside it seems like I am holding it all together.

Noel: No it doesn't

__

Mercy: Here’s a fun Christmas idea. We hang mistletoe, but instead of kissing, you have to FIGHT whoever else is under it.

Talia: Mercy no.

Mischa: Mistlefoe.

Talia: Please stop encouraging her.

__

Mercy: If I accidentally sat on a voodoo doll of myself, would I be trapped forever in that position, doomed to starve to death?

Talia: How am I supposed to know?

Mischa: You say, as if we don’t use you as a source of knowledge of the occult.

Talia: *sighs*

Talia: You wouldn't be trapped.

__

Ocean: Are you the big spoon or the little spoon?

Mischa: I'm a knife.

Talia, from across the room: They're the little spoon.

__

Jane: Mercy and I were crossing the street, and this dude drove by and honked at us

Ricky: *Sighing* What did Mercy do?

Jane: She chased him to the next red light, then reached into his window and...

Mercy: Who wants a steering wheel?

__

Mercy: On a scale from “damn Daniel” to “fre sha vaca do”, how are you feeling?

Jane : In between “it’s an avocado, thanks” and “how did you defeat Captain America”, but as a solid answer I would say “I don’t need a degree to be a clothing hanger”. How about you, Ricky?

Ricky: Probably “road work ahead”.

Talia: I speak many languages, and this is none of them.

__

Mercy: Rules are made to be broken.

Ocean : They were made to be followed. Nothing is made to be broken.

Ricky: Uh, piñatas.

Constance: Glow sticks.

Mischa: Karate boards.

Noel: Spaghetti when you have a small pot.

Mercy: Rules.

Ocean:

__

Mercy, walking into her, Jane and Ricky's house house: Hello, people who do not live here.

Ocean : Hey.

Noel: Hi.

Constance: Hello.

Mischa: Hey!

Mercy: I gave you the key to my place for emergencies only!

Noel: We were out of Doritos.

__

Mercy, threatening the others with a paintball gun: Listen... Life comes at us fast. We don't know what life is gonna give us... And today, it's gonna give you... a paintball!

__

Store Worker: Would a Ms Mercy Bachinski please come to the front desk?

Mercy, arriving at the desk: Hello, is there a problem?

Store Worker: points to Mischa and Noel

Store Worker: I believe they belong to you?

Mischa and Noel, simultaneously: We got lost :(

Mercy: I didn’t even bring you guys here with me-

[theeverlastingshade]

100 Favorite Songs of 2023

100. Dust Bunny- Crumb

99. Fever- Yaeji

98. I Saw- Young Fathers

97. Steppa Pig- JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

96. Retriever- Braids

95. Meant To Be- Wilco

94. Obscure- Jlin

93. Sparks- Cornelius

92. Prizefighter- Youth Lagoon

91. TV in the Gas Pump- Wednesday

90. Moonlight- Kali Uchis

89. Time Bandits- Angel Olsen

88. FLA- Empty Country

87. Satanist- boygenius

86. Tiny Garden- Jamila Woods ft. duentita

85. dazies- yeule

84. Club People- Alan Palomo

83. Out of Town- Hotline TNT

82. Don’t Let the Devil- Killer Mike ft. El-P & thankyougoodsir

81. Ms. America- Bully

80. Everybody (Source Codes)- Mach Hommy & Tha God Fahim

79. I Believe- Caroline Polachek

78. Swing (In a Dream)- Squid

77. Champagne Shit- Janelle Monáe

76. HEAVEN TO ME- Tyler, the Creator

75. Rosa Rugosa- Olof Dreijer

74. It Must Change- Anohni and the Johnsons

73. Dangle from the smoke ring- draag me

72. moonworld- Full Body 2

71. Town Crank- Clark

70. Imagination- Parannoul

69. Freak- feeble little horse

68. Mount Meigs- Lonnie Holley

67. This Stupid World- Yo La Tengo

66. Bloom- Blue Lake

65. Rats Come To Play- Bruiser and Bicycle

64. Flimsier- King Krule

63. skin meadow- Home Is Where

62. Sun Girl- Julia Holter

61. Aurora- Infant Island

60. THE GOV’T GAVE US GUNS- ICECOLDBISHOP

59. Everlasting Days- John Cale ft. Animal Collective

58. King- Chat Pile

57. Another One Another- Drop Nineteens

56. Rabbit- Youth Lagoon

55. Goodbye Evergreens- Sufjan Stevens

54. the CIA- glass beach

53. True Life- Water From Your Eyes

52. I Thought You’d Change- Hotline TNT

51. Say It Like You Mean It- Sleater-Kinney

50. Divers- Model/Actriz

49. Peach Fuzz- Mandy, Indiana

48. Wall of Eyes- The Smile

47. Laura- M83

46. Uncertainty Principle- L’Rain

45. Rudolph- MJ Lenderman

44. Fling- Jane Remover

43. D.A.R.E.- ICECOLDBISHOP

42. Paces- feeble little horse

41. Babylon By Bus- billy woods & Kenny Segal ft. ShrapKnel

40. Defeat- Animal Collective

39. Arrival- Parannoul

38. Changing Channels- Pangae

37. Turkey Vultures- Wednesday

36. Freak Me Now- Jessie Ware

35. The Blades- Squid

34. Suspended- Sampha

33. blue trio- Full Body 2

32. Dustine- Empty Country

31. Wespennest- DJ Koze

30. I Got Heaven- Mannequin Pussy

29. Making the Band (Danity Kane)- Earl Sweatshirt

28. Younger & Dumber- Indigo de Souza

27. Contact- Kelela

26. everyday feels like 9/11- Home Is Where

25. New Utensils- Fever Ray

24. borealis dancing- Jaimie Branch

23. I Can't Hush- Lonnie Holley ft. Jeff Parker

22. Three Drums- Four Tet

21. STUNTMAN- Tyler, the Creator ft. Vince Staples

20. We Thought the Sky- Bruiser and Bicycle

19. Pinking Shears- Mandy, Indiana

18. Year Zero- billy woods & Kenny Segal ft. Danny Brown

17. Unbreak My Love- Nourished By Time

16. Vampire Empire- Big Thief

15. Sleepless- Model/Actriz

14. Bath County- Wednesday

13. Blossom- Parannoul

12. Shit Talk- Sufjan Stevens

11. Bending Hectic- The Smile

10. N/Y- The Haxan Cloak

9. Raven- Kelela

8. Sinatra Drive Breakdown- Yo La Tengo

7. Barley- Water From Your Eyes

6. We Shine at Night- Parannoul

5. Kandy- Fever Ray

4. Lips- Jane Remover

3. floral organs- Home Is Where

2. Quarry- Wednesday

1. Pocket- feeble little horse

[shhisp]

1.I read your hc about Alpha Kids education and I wonder how much of Grandma English not telling Jake about HIC was because she thought she still had more time. Like he was still very little when she died. But at the same time for me it makes Jake look very sharp that he managed to survive on that island. Buuut yeah, he wouldn't survive normal school (mood).

2. Im really curious if you have hc about Jake relationship with Jade? I'm still sad that them being penpals and clearly friends for years was ignored in Homestuck. They build murderbunny together! Best bonding time ever. Plus I bet that Dirk was veeeeeery jealous that Jake build a ROBOT with SOMEONE ELSE for SOMEONE ELSE.

1. I do think she told him ENOUGH about HIC that, like, he got a helping of generational trauma from both Condy and LE which I love because angst. I do think she would've told him more, though, when he was... you know, older. But I can just as easily see her not going into true graphic detail about the stuff she used to experience. You have Jake remembering vividly about her mother killing her dog, but she told of a more "fantastical" tale despite that detail, curiously enough. Jade has so much she just builds up inside of her that I don't think she'd ever say enough to make Jake feel as truly devastated as she knew he probably would. I imagine she told him about Bec first and foremost, which had Jake spiraling, the poor boy. She tried to tell him what she could without breaking his heart ):

2. I could probably talk about Jade and Jake and their relationship together for fucking ages and all the different dynamics, because imo there's an infinite amount of ways I handle them in my head! In which case I'll probably go into my favorite platonic dynamic for them post-game, which I've done a LOT of thinking over since 2017.

Platonic route aside I love Dirk being jealous of Jade anyway. Jake clearly went to his grandma first and foremost as his main source of comfort after such a traumatizing game and a messy breakup with a hint of sexual assault to boot, and this is more or less Hussie-confirmed! In the epilogues, out of all the direct pairs (John and Jane, Dave and Dirk, Rose and Roxy), Jade and Jake seem to be the absolute closest with each other! And the umm. Well the whole Harlenglish annual orgy thing which is....... MOVING ON!

I think she always ends up seeing him as more of her grandson than she does her grandpa, especially since they know each other as kids and all! Jake, though, just naturally seems to fit into the role of soft submissive boy raised by an awesome woman trope. He greatly idolizes her, just like he canonically does John, who I imagine he saw as more of a "Poppop" than Jane did, seeing as everything Jade told him about dear old John! It's honestly so adorable I could cry! Jake loves his family to bits and pieces and it's so... SO very wholesome.

I have my own ideas about how John would see Dirkjake working out ("EB: how can a black eye be consensual??") but Jade I think definitely Gets It more than anyone. That being said she is so horribly hard on Dirk anyway. That's her baby boy her grandpa her grandson her BROTHER!!! and she will aim a gun at him if he does something fucking stupid (and he does that a lot, I think.) Dirk however respects her to hell and back and he's like. Alright. If my boyfriend's grandma tells me to kill myself I'm gonna respect her wishes, because she's right. A lot of mutual respect remains between them all the same, imo, especially when their main goal is to just see Jake happy. I love them getting closer and starting to talk about their shared interests more than life itself as the years go by.

The conversation when he calls Jade about wanting to get out of his relationship in the candy route is one of my favorite parts between them and says sooooooo much, even if we didn't get it in canon Homestuck proper. He trusts her more than even Roxy, at that point, and that personally says so much to me. Ugh I love them. Even when they're only cousins in some AUs I make, they're always two peas in a pod that almost always share the same bed when they can.

I have some other ideas of course that would be better suited for another post, and some particular details for Grandpa and Jade and Grandma and Jake (likewise, very specific circumstances) but this is how I like to write their relationship in almost every regard. Jane doesn't strike me as very protective at all, much as I love her, but Jade and Jake will defend each other to the ends of the Earth. Jake basically threatened Dave in candy for not giving her a child, imagine if he BROKE HER HEART!!!

Harlenglishes 4ever. I would do anything for more content of them together. 😭

[owltypical]

i've been grumbling about the branagh poirot movies a fair amount lately, and honestly i keep thinking about it in connection to that recent post about how differently and cynically movies are made these days, and how it all comes down to my big gripe that i've actually had for a long time now, about how modern media just doesn't trust the audience with adaptations of old books

it can't just be conversations and quiet thoughtful moments and characters acting like normal-ass people, there has to be ramped-up violence, gun fights, dramatic action, explosions, you gotta spice it up, and be sure to dumb down/minimize the dialogue

you can't have a full cast of characters of all kinds and let them be established and breathe, you have to get rid of a bunch or just combine them into fewer characters, and be sure to make them secret super criminals or turn them into something that has nothing to do with the source material at all, and make sure they've all been cast with generically attractive actors within a certain age range

like i remember a few years back trying to watch an adaptation of the bronte novel the tenant of wildfell hall because i'd liked the book a lot, and when it got to a part that had been relatively mild when written, suddenly it was a big violent fight sequence with intense dramatic music and was so wildly out-of-character and offbase that i immediately stopped watching

i have a strong fondness for the 2006 jane eyre miniseries, because the lead characters are so well-cast with good chemistry, but whenever i've gone back to watch it i actually just skip most of it to just get to certain scenes because there's so much that's just absurd and over-the-top and out of place

sometimes adaptations improve on books, sometimes greatly, but it's so tiresome to read something and then watch or look up info on the adaptation, and see how it's almost nothing like the source, it got changed around to something almost completely different because poirot needs a tragic origin story and a love interest and to stand in front of explosions, elizabeth and mr. darcy have to have an extended hot sexy half-naked makeout at the end of the movie so you can know they're truly in love, mr. markham has to scream and beat the shit out of a dude for the drama, even a bunch of poirot and marple tv episode adaptions i've looked up change things to an absurd degree and make it flashier and more intense

i think that's why knives out was so refreshing when it came out, it's just a fucked up family in a house and an eccentric detective, it has tense moments and confrontations but nothing super outrageous, it's going for an old school character-based whodunnit vibe and it nails it far, far more successfully than anything branagh's ever done with his own ostensible period pieces

glass onion is definitely a lot more absurd and even has a big explosion, but at least that absurdity is established as a very particular brand of modern absurdity with particular modern subject matter, and large chunks of the movie are still thoughtful and well-plotted and just feature a bunch of people in a house, or sitting and talking and having very interesting conversations

all this rambling to say: please trust the audience more, it's okay for something to be relatively quiet and character-focused, let things breathe, let things be expansive, give the audience room to think and take things in, inspire the audience to consume media more thoughtfully and with more literacy, you don't have to distract them every five minutes with an explosion or a tiddy

[st-theskaterdude-blog]

Thanks for the answer.

Trista is great. I'm always super excited to see more Black mutants get page time that isn't just Storm or Bishop when people aren't using him as a Cable stand-in.

Ewing is an Associate Professor in the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity, so I don't have the usual worries about characters not feeling Black, for lack of a better term. I think my best example is how Bendis likes creating Black characters, but then it takes several more writers to make them feel like Black teens in America (maybe my problem is just with Bendis).

I liked Trista’s back-and-forth with Kitty—it was great. She really feels Gen Z in a way that other young X-characters should, technically, due to the sliding time scale, but don't. Ewing wrote for Champions, so I'm not too worried about the young cast in this, and I'm excited to meet Melee in issue #2.

I will say that her grandma's voice feels exactly like an older woman in my family because I've had that conversation, and it's great that she's supportive of her. In NYX Ms. Marvel, Kamala gets verbally accosted by a guy for being a mutant, and there's a woman in a hijab on his side. In a Cerebrocast episode, one of the writers commented that this was intentional, showing how that intersectionality can really alienate minorities from their own communities.

For Uncanny, my favorite is probably Calico. Some of my favorite characters in media are the "pretty rich girl with problems," and that's what I got here. Leaning into the mutant metaphor a bit, it reads very much like internalized homophobia. Her power is like Psylocke mixed with Ghost Rider and a dash of Jane Foster Valkyrie. She hangs out with mutants, and at the very least, Ransom cares about her safety, but she will look you dead in the eye and say she isn't a mutant.

Visually, she is probably the first or second most distinct of the group, being one of the few X-characters with an animal companion. I've found all the jokes about the horse actually being a mutant kind of funny.

I know the "dirty goblin" line seems weird, but I think that's just how she relates to all of this. Her powers turn her into a literal flaming paladin, so her parents had her process everything through fantasy terms. Like, if you insert "devils" instead of "goblins," she just sounds like a religious bigot.

I would be more into Deathdream if his name wasn't Deathdream, but I don’t think there’s a mutant character with manipulation of the dead, so I could see him being used in the future beyond this book—or killed off, with no in-between. Some have said he’ll stick around in some way because his powers make him undead, but a writer can always find a way. First Class Darwin taught me that.

I'm not too interested in Jitter, but Ransom having a black hole in his heart has me curious, and I want to know the application of that. It’s similar to Chamber and Xorn, but they have ways of expressing their mutations outside the body. He was just fighting hand-to-hand, so I think it’s just a power source in a Kirby and Maggot-like way. I do wonder if Simone is going to blow his chest open later in this run. To me, it seems like a Chekhov's gun—it has me asking the most questions and tickling the sci-fi part of my brain. He seems to fit the "cool guy" archetype, so I hope we get some more depth.

I'll definitely agree that their introduction isn't as strong as Trista, with them asking for help and Wolverine being an asshole. I chose to let the Eye of Agamotto thing go, hoping it comes back around, but Logan seems to be the least favorite part of this book so far. I haven't read his solo yet, so maybe that's better.

I wish the output of Exceptional matched Mckay's and Simone's stuff.

And I really love your page.

Do you have any thoughts about the new mutant kids from both exceptional and Uncanny?

Hey!

I loved Trista from Exceptional. They're likeable, vulnerable, really personable, kind but willing to push back against some pretty fucked up oppression. You only get one shot at a first impression and the moment a young mutant 'manifests' is a classic for a reason. It's tough to get all that across when a character is going through something terrifying and traumatic, but I think Ewing pulled it off well.

We get to meet their grandmother briefly who's super cool, and I found it endearing that they reached for friendship with Kitty. I'm not the right person to break down the race/mutant dichotomy there, but it shouldn't surprise that they look for allies and strengths in response to such an incident. I have a feeling we're going to see more of them and I'm eager. We've seen so many new mutants come and go without sticking around and it's one of the few sources of lasting change Marvel has.

Definitely a sweet and character establishing sequence.

As for the kids in Uncanny, we don't really get to know them very well. There's four of them (except one is not a mutant and says multiple racist/weird things) and the fight is super contrived IMO. It's like woo here's these kids, and we're fighting them for some reason, and they're winning for some reason, then they're not. It showed us they can throw hands which is cool, but I couldn't tell you their names or powers without looking them up and I've read that book double digit times to review it.

Dirty goblins, WTF? The goth kid is great though. I'm a sucker for weird goths that say odd shit and have gnarly powers. Not sure what those powers are, but the army of dead folks behind them are a hint as to what a 'Cyanide Dream' is. Could they be this Endling (last of their kind) people keep talking about? Maybe.

Super weird that two separate children have yelled that Rogue is hot in both issue 1 and 2 of Uncanny. I don't really get it tbh. For that matter, Rogue keeps talking about sex at odd moments.

Here's where we meet them properly. Deathdream sticks out again for me, simply because they're not talking like you'd expect them to. They could be just a goth kid who says fucked up stuff, or they could have wild death powers. Likely both. Them stinking of death is interesting, and I flipping the question back on 'Logan of the Trees' in Japanese (that they know he understands)was slick. Not sure I trust them but I want to know more.

Jitter didn't make much of an impression yet, and Ransom would be the same except for the 'Brotherhood' comment. (I swear that better not be about the Alaskan X-Men.) Calico... I'm not sure. I need to see more tbh. As a group I'm curious and see potential, and I'd like to see where this goes both narratively and characterisation-wise. 50/50 they're not what they seem, and I wonder what 'voice' directed them here. Xavier?

Thanks for the ask! What did you think of them?

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

jake, frantically pointing a gun: Please dont lie to me jane.

jake: I know about your cooking. 

jake: TAKE OFF THE HAT.

jane, calmly slicing a carrot: Jake, you are hallucinating. 

jake: THERES A RAT

jane, who definitely has a rat on her head: And if you are wrong?