#starfire appreciation week

[rbfclassy]

STILL IN LOVE! #2 — TOJI FUSHIGURO

SYNOPSIS...after still messing around with your ex husband, you began to wonder if you’re still in love with him after finding out about his new girlfriend…

INFO...ex husband!toji x fem!reader, reader & toji have two kids, megumi is readers bio son, jealousy, smut, angst, arguments, alcohol, drinking problem, family problems, arguing in front of kids, toxic behaviors, crying, mentions of divorce

OTHER...likes and reblogs are appreciated

It’s been about three weeks since you found out about Toji’s new girlfriend. You still haven’t met her or properly seen her yet, but from what the kids tell you, she seems nice. It still felt weird having to get used to the idea that your ex had actually moved on. It was silly to think about, you know. Having been married over five years and getting a divorce, you’d think that means you would be done with your ex, but no, it was quite the opposite. Toji and you were still at each other, flirting, kissing, having sex. Neither of you had essentially ‘moved on’ from one another. It was normal for the both of you. It just never clicked in your mind that he would actually leave and live his life like a divorce is intended to do.

You’ll pin that blame on yourself, thinking too much into what you had with him is what caused you to feel this jealousy in the first place. Having remembered how you were once her spot, being the girlfriend that he took everywhere and did everything with. Hell, shes even met your kids before she’s even met you. It was clear Toji felt serious about her, otherwise he would’ve never brought her around Megumi and Naya. That thought made something twist in your chest.

“Mommy?” Your daughter’s little voice pulled you from your thoughts. Her big eyes watching as you applied your moisturizer in the bathroom mirror, a stuffie in her arms.

“Yes, baby?” You smiled, kneeling down so you were eye level with her.

“Daddy is at the door. He’s asking for you.” She blinked, squeezing the stuffed animal in her arms. Usually Toji just comes on in announced, startling you when he suddenly speaks, but you found it weird that he was now waiting at the door to speak to you. You grabbed your daughter’s hand, walking her to living room where Megumi was watching teen titans and eating popcorn. “Ooo, is that starfire?!” You daughter ran towards her brother, letting go of your hand.

Your eyes landed on Toji who leaning against the door way, dressed in a black hoodie and gray sweats, a stoic look on his face. “Hi, mama,” he greeted.

“Hey, what’s up?” You asked, folding your arms across your chest.

“Can I talk to you really quick? Outside?” He nodded his head in the direction behind him.

“Yeah.” You nodded, following his footsteps as you shut the front door behind you. “Something wrong?” You looked at him.

“I won’t be able to take the kids this weekend,” he sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Sorry.”

“What do you mean? Why?” Your brows furrowed, standing there confused.

“I got…things to do,” he meekly answered. He kept his answer as vague as possible leaving little to nothing for you to go off of, but deep down you had a feeling it had something to do with his new girlfriend.

“Things to do? Like what?” You questioned, poking the inside of your cheek with your tongue.

“Nothing important,” he quickly replied, sucking in a breath.

“If it’s not important then why can’t you take the kids? They’re not gonna be happy about this,” you try to explain. You couldn’t understand why he was being so secretive towards you all of sudden, especially when it came to his time with the children.

“Can you just accept the fact I can’t take them? Please?” He seemed to be getting impatient, rolling his eyes every time you questioned him on something. It was obviously bothering him.

“Does it have to do with your new girlfriend?” There was no harm in asking him, curiosity getting the better of you.

“That’s none of your business.” He tone was rough and stern, almost like you hit a nerve.

“Oh?” Your brows raised in surprise in his sudden change of attitude. “I think it is my business considering this involves your time with our children and the fact you bring her around our kids, Toji. It’s a simple yes or no question.”

He let out a scoff, averting his gaze in a different direction. A sigh left his lips as he ran his hands down his face. “Here you fucking go,” he groaned. “You’re getting jealous.”

“I’m sorry?” Your eyes narrowed as you stared at him.

“You’re getting jealous of her, aren’t you?” His question hung in the air for several seconds as you stared at him in disbelief.

“Here you go assuming shit like always. See this is why we can never have a normal conversation, cause you always wanna start something! Where the fuck did that even come from?” You were starting to see just why you and Toji got divorced. There was some truth to his words, about being jealous. Though, you were too stubborn to admit such a thing to someone like him. What good would it do you anyway? He’d probably just laugh in your face and walk off. “Have your weekend to yourself, Toji. I’ll find someone else to take care of Megumi and Naya.” You turn around to enter the house, not having the energy to argue with him.

“Woah, what do you mean someone else?” His hand is wrapped around your wrist as he pulls you back towards him. “Why can’t you?”

“Cause I have things planned! Pretty sure Shoko won’t mind watching them.” You snatch your wrist back from him, only for him to grab onto you again, pulling you back. “What, Toji?!” You ask in annoyance, sighing loudly.

“You got things planned? With who?” It almost made you laugh how he was the one asking so many questions, trying to peak in on your life.

“That’s none of your business,” you casually say as you stare him. His jaw clenches, finally letting go of your wrists. Both of you stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes when in actuality it was only a mere second. You had a date on Saturday night, someone you met while you were out shopping for groceries. He was handsome, and kind enough to ask you to a dinner, even offered to pay. It would be wrong if you said no because you wanted to say yes, so you did. His name was Kento Nanami. “Goodnight, Toji.” With those words, you walked back into the house and shut the door behind you, locking it.

“Mommy, what did daddy want?” You daughter asked, peaking up from behind the couch.

“I’ll tell you two tomorrow, just keep watching your show.” You smiled at the both of them, quickly rushing to your room to try shake off the funny feeling that you had. Why couldn’t he just be upfront with you? Tell you the truth? You wouldn’t mind if you he needed time to himself, but to come out and be secretive about it was a different story. Then, to start arguing with you simply reminded you of the times he and you fought over the stupidest things. Maybe you shouldn’t have gotten so defensive, but you couldn’t help it.

You tried not to dwell on the situation too much, instead thinking about the date you soon had. You got walked over to your closet, skimming through the hanging clothes in search of a perfect dress to wear. Something elegant yet sexy is what you were going for. You didn’t want to wear anything too over the top in fear of scaring him away, but you wanted something that also showed him you weren’t a prude.

Finally, you landed on your favorite black dress, the corners of your mouth forming into a smile as your eyes scanned over the piece of fabric. “Perfect.”

series masterlist

tag list (comment to be added):

@sweetpo1son @lovebittenbyevans @ryumurin @he4rts444mi @cherrypieyourface @lemonintrovert01 @ladysi0 @avanly @chilichopsticks @tananaxx @akusrider @irlbungee @my-anime-garden @hnm-mika @antiholdinghandsclub @yharnam-prophet @crankyarchives @nnnancyr @kenqki @ebiharachan @dollcest @whoreforjjkmen @yoyio90 @jaegergirl @r0seandth0rns

[tarisilmarwen]

RobStar Week 2024, Day 5 - Date

(My Florida Man Flying Graysons agenda continues, also I may have been inspired by my own 10-year anniversary vacation. Enjoy!)

---

"Not that I don't appreciate Bruce doing this for us," said Dick, stirring his straw in the glass of cool bourbon sitting on the table in front of him, "but I'm still not sure about leaving the kids with him. At least, not for a whole week."

Kory nudged her own drink—an orange fruity cocktail—to the side and reached to take his hand. "Alfred has assured me that Jake and Mar'i are already having a wonderful time. The last message we exchanged I believe they were making batches of cookies."

Still agitated, Dick leaned back in the pool deck chair, making it creak underneath him. He tried to relax and enjoy the warm sea air, wafting over the top of the cruise ship as it prepared to cast off—seven days in the Western Caribbean, a full-expenses-paid trip gifted to them for their tenth anniversary—but anxious what-ifs still chased themselves around inside his head.

What if something happened while they were on vacation? What if some villain decided to attack the Manor, or target the kids for their connection to Bruce? What if Mar'i convinced Jake to sneak out on patrol with her, and what if they got hurt? What if—?

Kory squeezed his hand tighter, pinching with her Tamaranian strength, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Eyes on her and deliberately taking a long deep breath, Dick forced his anxieties away.

"Sorry," he said. "I'll stop spiraling now, I promise."

"Mmm?" Starfire prompted, with a tilt of her head.

Dick took another breath and verbalized his mental counterarguments.

"Mar'i and Jake will be fine. Bruce promised us he would keep them safe. He is not taking them on any missions or patrols and has shelved most of his active cases so that he's not too occupied to spend time with them. There are emergency procedures in place arranged with Alfred if anything happens to him while he's out on patrol. The Titans are on hand for anything else."

Kory smiled. "Feel better?"

His lips quirked. "Yeah, actually."

She squeezed his hand again, gentler this time.

They sat in comfortable silence a moment, watching the upper deck fill up with more guests, eager to watch the ship sail away from a good vantage point.

"Should we move to to prow or is this still a good spot for you?" Kory asked at length.

He had a few more sips of the bourbon in him and it was starting to put him in a better mood. "Let's go to the stern," he decided, standing and pulling her along by the hand. "We can usually spot dolphins trailing after the ship's wake."

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh!" she gasped. "Yes please, I would love to see them!"

He smiled and paused so she could grab her drink and then they ambled on leisurely towards the back of the ship. The breeze picked up, warm and refreshing, promising clear summer weather and a hint of salty spray. It rustled the hem of Kory's long white skirt around her ankles, caught strands of her vibrant red hair, and whistled through Dick's scalp like a gentle caress.

He had to admit it; this was really nice.

They found a spot at the rail at almost the very back of the ship. The engines rumbled to life shortly, stirring excited flutters from the other guests as the wake churned white and they began slowly drifting away from the dock.

"What are you looking forward to the most, on this trip?" Kory asked him.

He thought for a moment, then replied, "I think the shore excursion to the historical downtown, when we reach Jamaica."

"That is a good one," Kory agreed.

"You?"

She gave a coy smile that sent shivers through him, eyes glinting mischievously. "Let us just say I have illicit plans for us after dinner on formal night," she said, almost purring the words in his ear, leaning close.

Now he tingled with excitement, already imagining his wife wrapped in the slinky black number she'd brought along for the trip and then mentally undressing her.

"Are you ah..." he said, licking his dry lips, "...opposed to giving me a little preview? After we're fully away?"

"Indeed not," she murmured, lips nipping at his ear, skin so warm he forgot how to breathe for a second. "I for one am planning on thoroughly enjoying my time with my husband."

He tilted his head and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Heat and passion flamed between them for a moment until Kory broke away with a happy gasp.

"Oh!" she cried, pointing off towards their wake. "There they are! Look!"

Dick couldn't even be mad about the interruption, grinning as he leaned arms on the railing, nursing his drink and watching dolphin fins break the surface of the water behind the ship.

He and Kory and the other guests oohed and aaahed appreciatively as the dolphins sent them off.

[somereaderinblue]

Today is day 2 of Trigun Fanfiction Appreciation Week & with it, another rec list.

Gen AUs

Geranium Dreams by the_13th_battalion, rated T

Tangled AU where Vash is Rapunzel, WW is Flint & Conrad is Mother Gothel. Oh! And we can't forget the MVP: Kuroneko as Pascal!

promise of an ending by Altered_Karma, rated T

Although it does take elements from Tangled (re: locked in the tower!) it doesn't follow the movie's storyline. Instead, the author adds magical elements that don't involve long hair & another form of conflict. There's even fanart for this on twt.

Daylight (You Got Me Cursing The Daylight) by Sblurg, rated E

A Violet Evergarden AU we never asked for but absolutely needed. Full of angst & hurt/comfort that gives its inspo a run for its money.

Otherworldly by WarriorNun, rated M

Pacific Rim AU with its own dashes of worldbuilding & despite the apocalyptic setting it implies, has its share of comedic & slice-of-life moments.

The Courtship of Nicholas D Wolfwood by @screamingshark, rated M

Another fic I want to absolutely devour. A Modern AU where Plants are Mers. The author does a wonderful job of writing their courting rituals & culture in gen as well as plot twists & cliffhangers that drive you nuts. You can find fanart for it on their acc & some @poibeansart.

And Still Have Wings (with which to fly) by @alpha-hydra, rated E

Shape of Water AU where WW goes from fugitive/con-artist/former assassin to janitor & upon meeting Vash, is willing to go back to being a fugitive again if it means freedom. There's also fanart.

Show the symbol on your chest by @somereaderinblue, rated G

For a tiny bit of self-promotion a Superhero AU, more specifically a Teen Titans AU where Meryl is Robin, Milly is Starfire, WW is Beast Boy, Livio/Razlo is Cyborg & Vash is Raven. No knowledge of TT is necessary.

Tesla fics

cross my heart and hope to die by beelzebby666 & Lightning Rod by @needle-noggins, rated M

Both these fics explore the fact that Tristamp Elendira has Tesla's eye. They were done during Trigun Body Horror Week so heed the tags.

Happy by Plumerias_of_BlueMaroon, rated M

A heartbreaking Tesla POV. We know how this story goes, we know how it ends. We're simply seeing this story through her eyes & it's no less tragic. As someone who's studied child development, having to read this child look at how so many treat her & wonder 'What did I do wrong?' brings another level of hurt.

There Are Differences Between Our Hearts by Marley_Millions, rated T

Another Tesla POV fic where she expresses her frustrations to her sisters, the only ones who always listen to her through it all.

Run Red River (Run Home and Back Again) by PSIDontKnow, rated T

Tesla tears reality asunder for one simple reason: to find a universe where she is loved instead of martyred.

chrysanthemum by schrodingers__cat, rated T

The humans took many things from Tesla. Her autonomy, her body, her freedom, the concept of love, happiness & acceptance that didn't come with hurting. The only thing she wants back is her chance to be an older sister.

the half-extinguished light by reclamation, rated T

I accidentally discovered this fic while checking out their pfp & became intrigued by the Frankenstein concept. After reading it, I can't help but wonder who the true monster is. Is it Tesla/Vash? Is it Nai, who will soon become Millions Knives? Or maybe even Rem & Conrad, who were accomplices.

trouble comes in threes by @corgiss, rated T

TIME FOR SOME TESLA LIVES AUS! Here, we have them being NML's weird desert cryptids disaster siblings. There's also this fanart.

Sun, Moon, and Stars by @wendywhite13, rated T

Another Tesla Lives AU where Rem puts her foot down on day 1, causing a domino effect. This world is kinder, but it's still full of social & political challenges the family has to navigate through together.

Purple Hyacinth AU by @somereaderinblue, rated T & G

My own Age-Reversal + Role Swap AU where Tesla lives because in this world, she was born last while Vash was born first.

VW fics

sex shop/mortician by @sascake, rated E & M

As the title implies, Vash owns a sex shop, WW is a mortician & they have kids. It's always interesting to see Vash with jobs other than a baker or florist in a modern AU.

Eye to Eye by severalspoons, rated T

Reminder that for all his goofiness, Vash is the most perceptive character in-universe. Despite this, he chooses to love someone with a mask just as ironclad as his own.

Tomas Fried Rice by InkedEntropy, rated G

VW cook fried rice together, and then Vash cooks it alone.

My Body's Moving Into Retrograde by Sacramental_Wine, rated E.

Vash never hesitates to give his love & body, WW makes him receive it for once.

The Wall by Dezace, rated T

Canon-divergence wherein Knives captures Vash the Stampede decades before canon, allowing him to meet WW before he became the Punisher.

upon broken wings by maxxstrom, rated E

If I had a nickel for everytime I found a VW fic where they met as EoM captives, I'd have two nickels. Not a lot, but it's happened twice. Unlike the prev fic, this is a world where Vash stayed with Knives, never becoming the Stampede. However, this means he meets a WW who's yet to hit cynicism rock-bottom. Vash becomes WW's saint & he in turn becomes Vash's salvation.

And that's all I have for day 2. Hope you enjoy the fics & leave a kudo/comment for the respective author, have it be on AO3 or Tumblr. I wish all my fellow Trigun fans/artists/writers a good time!

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Dope answers buddy :)

1: Would Chris/Thara plus Jake/ Meredith get their own house or move into the Kent farm & Grayson place?

2: How much does Meredith know; does she only know about Jake or everything about the bat family? (Other heroes too)

3: How did Jake & maybe mar'i, first meet the super-twins?

4: What story would you write for the Grayson-Anders family?

5: What story would you write for the Super-Family?

Thanks man here’s some more @pin-crusher2000 ;-)

1) Chris/Thara: they would in a beachside home on the coast in the state Metropolis is within. Thara really appreciates the sunrise of the coast line while in turn Chris really likes how the moon looks at night when it reflects in the ocean water.

Jake/Meredith: Also Their own home; semi canonically at the very end of New Order, Jake and his family were living some suburbs of either Gotham or Bludhaven so it’s not hard to believe that Jake and Meredith might do the same in this timeline

2) Upon learning Jake is Skybird, she very quickly and correctly deduces that his family are Starfire, Nightwing and Nightstar respectively while his Uncle Tim is Robin but for the first two years, that’s where he knowledge would stop, until she builds enough trust and good word of mouth from Jake to the others to start learning over time. For instance it was until she was 13 she finally learned that his adoptive Grandpa Bruce was indeed the Batman and not that Bruce Wayne was living in Batman’s attic.

3) Chris introduced the Twins to both Mar’i and Jake almost about two weeks after Mon El and then arrived back on Earth after that big huge battles at Warworld. Almost immediately they actually all got along with the Twins especially so curious and full of questions about the Graysons and their Tamaranean heritage and customs.

4) Hmm….

For the whole family, I envision a long (about in the real world a half a year to one year long, biweekly scheduling in place) story arc having them travel throughout the stars putting on a space based circus tour, a sort of new intergalactic branch of Haly’s, running into many new friends and foes with the backdrop of sharing both Earthen and Tamaranean culture. Along the way, the family can have many encounters with not just the standard Blackfire and Wildfire but also maybe other space bound characters and teams in the DCU including but not limited to Adam Strange, Lobo, L.E.G.I.O.N, Planet Thanagar aka the planet Hawkman’s Nth Metal originated from, and maybe even a resident Green Lantern or two that pass by them (Ideally, Jessica Cruz and/or Tai Pham). The arc culiminates with The Graysons and their allies banding together and fending off a grand scale attack on Planet Tamaran itself and once successful, the epilogue sees that branch of the Circus give one last Grand Performance for the tour with the Flying Graysons as the headline act.

5) One day, Clark’s powers are starting to go haywire and out of control. The solar energy in his systems are overloading and threatening to cause him to explode. What’s worse though is that this explosion would be equivalent to a supernova which in way, through no fault of his own, Clark has the entire solar system and even the galaxy held hostage. Meanwhile, the anti alien Blue Earth Movement has gained unfortunate legitimacy with its representative being elected as President with vows to supposedly protect the Human race from any alien threat and place them as the superior species, no doubt having an ally in Lex Luthor. It’s a matter of the family trying to find ways to prevent Clark’s impending demise and save their world from not just that supernova but from in a way itself, especially as Blue Earth aligned super villains and even alien cosmic threats converge on our heroes, making their tasking all the harder. It’ll put their bonds and connections with each other to the test, not necessarily on how well they get along though that can certainly be all over but moreso on if it’ll be enough to overpower these great threats in their horizon. Minor Spoilers, Clark indeed survives his power overload and the Earth is safe there though the consequences would still linger afterwards

[dionysia-does-stories]

Shah Mat

Cringetober 2023, Day 24: Chess as a metaphor

On AO3

Rating M - 877 words - Teen Titans - Dick Grayson/Starfire

Summary: Dick knows that Star is going to have to leave for Tameran soon and wants to have the perfect date night, but she picks a very Dick activity of staying in and playing strip poker.

Story:

This wasn’t what Dick intended when he pitched Starfire picking a date night. He told her to choose anything in the world that she wanted to do just the two of them. Fly to Paris for a romantic dinner. Go out dancing somewhere warm and tropical. Go to an island in the middle of the ocean and get to really look at the stars. He’d meant anything.

Starfire had been very firm that she wanted to have a night in at their apartment order pizza and play chess. Dick loved chess and he never lost to anyone anymore. Not even Batman these days. He’d taught Star how to play but she never particularly liked it. 

The last week since she chose their date night she’d been obsessed with the game. Star spent hours googling chess strategies. Which is how she learned about strip chess and had amended her idea for a date night (not that Dick was arguing with the change.)

No this wasn’t what he’d intended but there was a hot shirtless Star playing chess with him. So, that was a plus. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d picked this set of activities thinking it would be his ideal date night (if so, she was right).

He had wanted to do something special, something memorable. For Her. The reports from the warfront on Tameran were getting worse everyday. Star was acting like it wasn’t destroying her. But it was a bluff.

Star moved her knight over her pawns and across the board. That was a bluff too. She was always trying to use the knights as a distraction. It was a very Starfire way of thinking. If you were a strong warrior then it was your responsibility to face danger head on.

Dick knew she was going to leave Earth. She had to. She knew her people needed her. She knew her people didn’t enjoy the same comfortable lifestyle that she did. It was the only thing about Earth that wasn’t ‘glorious’. If she could just feel at peace that Tameran was safe and building its way to better future then she wouldn’t feel so obligated. But they needed her. They were under attack and she wasn’t there.

Dick ignored her attempted knight distraction, taking a vulnerable pawn instead. She took off a boot. (One more boot before she removed the pants.)

He’d thought about offering to go with her. Somewhere in his jealous heart he hoped that she could live without Earth. He hoped that what was making the decision so miserable was the thought of leaving him. 

He didn’t stand a chance in that kind of war though. Maybe he could help with strategy and planning if he knew more about the planets involved in the conflict. He was fooling himself. All he would be to Starfire in a Tamaranian war is a vulnerability.

Batman always said that loved ones were a vulnerability to superheroes. He’d picked loneliness over weakness. Dick found a way around that logic. He fell in love with a woman so strong that he became her weakness. He could say with absolute confidence that Batman had no idea how much worse it was to be the one that couldn’t help when help was needed.

Starfire moved her bishop across the board. Dick found himself raising an eyebrow it was a really good move. All Star’s research was paying dividends. She have been beating him. She might have been beating the pants off him (She’d taken enough pieces that he was down to his underwear.)

Dick refocused his efforts. He was thinking of fewer and fewer good moves per turn. He’d been forced to bring his queen out earlier then he wanted to and was now concerned that he was going to lose her. Star’s own queen was on the attack, boxing his pieces in and hunting them down.

He took her rook. She unhooked her bra, flinging it across the room. 

He appreciated the gesture for a second before he pointed out, “you still have socks on.”

“I know.” Star’s face was everything. Sad. Loving. Excited. Disappointed. “But I didn’t think it would be fun to get the end of the game without taking it off.” She moved her knight. “Check mate.”

She had him. In chess, in life. He was hers completely.

He finally said the words he should’ve said months ago, “If you need to go to Tameran then you should go.”

“I wish it was different,” she told him.

He picked up his king. “Did I ever tell you what checkmate means?”

“It’s the name for the move.” She quirked her head to the side. 

She was so cute. (And so naked, Dick’s libido helpfully reminded when her head movement made her breasts sway.)

“It’s an anglicized version of the Persian phrase ‘Shah Mat’.”

“The king is surprised?” 

Sometimes he forgot that she knew every language he knew. God, he wanted to kiss her.

“Surprised but in the sense of frozen, unprepared for attack. The king is helpless.”

Star left her chair to sit on his lap. The curves of her body were tight against (he really was helpless.) She kissed him, pouring all her love into it. “I’ll come back when the war is won.”

[marvel-ousmondays]

The Avengers (Avengers Assemble)

So it took me a week to finish watching The Avengers.

It wasn't the movie's fault. It's a great film, especially if you are into the action-packed, fighting scenes. The dynamic between characters is great, and it has one of (if not my absolute) favorite quotes of the series.

But it is 2 hours and 23 minutes long and I had a weird week in terms of work, plus I wasn't actually feeling like watching a bunch of fight scenes. So it took a hot minute. Also, I had just finished season 2 of Loki not that long ago and going back to really bad Loki was a bit hard. He has few if any redeemable qualities in this one.

I'm not going to attempt a standard review given my less than standard watching procedure. I'm just going to call out things I liked.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow will forever be flipping incredible. In the Battle of New York where she's jumping on the flying Chitari and such- epic. But also her clear care for Barton and her emotional manipulation of both the criminals at the beginning and Loki later on- chef's kiss. I'm so glad she's the one to close the portal.

(Quick side note/small spoiler- there's a fan theory going around that her "feelings" for Banner in Ultron are all fake, just a method of control. I call bullshit. She is clearly fascinated by him throughout this film. If anyone's feelings are fake, it'd be Banner's, but Mark Ruffalo is too genuine for us to ever know.)

Erik Selvig and Barton both under Loki's control and then when they come out of it did incredible jobs. I particularly like the writing of Selvig under Loki's control- the science fascination unbridled, versus any actual desire for power. I think this hits the Tesseract's power and Loki's manipulation abilities dead on- they don't project what Loki would assume others would want onto them- they magnify the worst parts of anyone's desires and abilities. Barton is a master strategist and Selvig wants to understand every aspect of the cosmos. Generally these are traits they've put to good use. But under Loki, they're manipulated into awful acts.

Samuel L. Jackson's line "I recognize the council has made a decision, but as it is a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it" could be emblazoned on my tombstone and I'd be happy. The delivery was pitch perfect and always makes me laugh, while also being deadly serious.

Coulson- Clark Gregg's best role by far and the small amount of fanboying here just humanized his normally very stoic disposition so well. So glad they did opt to bring him back and in style.

I'm a huge Mark Ruffalo fan, both as an actor and just as a human being. It was incredibly difficult to come in after Edward Norton to fill this role but he nailed it. The moment when he tells about how he tried to commit suicide and the Hulk spat the bullet back out breaks my heart every time. There's obviously a lot of parable here about learning how to channel your anger. I personally think anger has gotten a bad rap, especially among women and activists. Righteous anger, as Starfire might say (yes, I know, I'm daring to mix DC and Marvel again, fight me later), is a powerful motivator. Anger can fuel us to change that which needs changing, but it has to be directed. Hulk shows that well enough. But I also appreciate the slow realization by Banner throughout the film that the Hulk is less crazed, destructive monster and more protector. We're not *there* just yet by the end- there's still some concern, but he's beginning that process of acceptance and understanding.

Captain America is mostly well written here, particularly in demonstrating he doesn't just follow the U.S. or orders blindly any more. He still sees himself as a soldier, but when Tony and Bruce alert him to the smell of fish in the air, he goes looking for answers. This is key character development for him as there was a time where he would have considered himself more bound to higher-ranking officials. However, I would wager Marvel regrets the one "God" comment they made in there as it doesn't really fit him overall.

Stark and Thor perform well, I just don't have a lot of commentary for either. Their rivalry is solid, though the idea that Thor would leave his brother unattended, even in remote mountains, seems unlikely.

I will also argue for more women sooner but that ship has sailed. I had forgotten about Thanos in the post- credits scene, so that was a good addition.

Note for me

Directed by: Joss Whedon

[romancomicsblog]

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day brings fun concepts & new life to Jaime Reyes - NON SPOILER COMIC BOOK REVIEW

In honor of Blue Beetle making his live action debut this week as the DCU's first superhero, I decided to pick up a copy of Josh Trujillo's limited series Blue Beetle: Graduation Day. This is one of the three recommended reads prior to the movie from DC, and the most recent to finish its run.

Graduation Day takes place, as you'd expect, on Jaimes High School Graduation Day. After his Scarab picks up a signal from the Reach, Jaime is grounded by the Justice League, while being forced by his parents to work for his aunt in Palmera City for the summer.

Along the way Jaime meets new warriors, learns from different superhero mentors Ted Kord, Superman, and Starfire, all while learning to tackles his fears head on and become the superhero he is supposed to be.

This book serves as a status quo reset for the character, setting up the stakes for the next series, as well as new villains and heroes. While at times it can feel like chapter 1 of a larger book, it is an extremely fun read that takes place in a larger DC universe, but still feels like Jaimes story.

I appreciate Jaimes arc in this, beginning with him unsure of himself or his role in the world. While the concept is nothing new, I think it is paid off in a way that feels natural and earned. It's a story I think most people can relate to, and definitely teens.

I was surprised by how many heroes were involved in this story. It reminded me of a Justice League/Justice League Unlimited episode in the best way. Bringing in huge named heroes for small roles in the larger story is one of my favorite aspects of DC. Having such a human based character like Jaime interact with these larger than life superheroes was a lot of fun and make for some of the best panels.

My favorite inclusion may have been Starfire, who serves as the most direct mentor to Blue Beetle. Having a hero who is alien and was once a kid hero show him the ropes, absolutely genius.

An aspect of the book I absolutely love is the art and character design done by Adrián Gutiérrez and Will Quintana. They both strike a wonderful balance between classic & fresh that I love. You can see it perfectly in Starfire above. (Though I don't love Jaimes facial hair, just personally).

I found the entire comic reminded me a lot of an anime. At times moments felt big dramatic in scope and emotion, and at other times it felt silly and fun. It struck a good balance for me.

The concepts introduced including new characters, new aliens, and a new city that are all for Jaime make the hero feel more on his own in a way I love. My biggest problem with legacy characters like Jaime Reyes or Miles Morales is the lack of new antagonists that feel like their own instead of hand me downs.

Hell, even the Blue Beetle movie villain is Carapax, a Ted Kord foe, and Victoria Kord, Teds sister.

I'm not going to spoil anything about the new characters and potential villains, but I think this book sets up new mythos specifically for Jaime. Not the Justice League, not Ted Kord, Jaime. I can see the making of a new and special archenemy in the works.

I can see James Gunn using a lot of this lore in future films, television, even Justice League films if they continue on with Xolo's version of the character.

All in all, I found Graduation Day to be a fun read, a great reintroduction to the character, and the beginning of what I hope to be a great run of Blue Beetle. It definitely hyped me up for Blue Beetle opening day, and to read more from Josh Trujillo in September.

I highly recommend you pick it up at your local comic book shop, in English or in Spanish.

Blue Beetle Graduation Day #1-6 are out now.

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to support me, you can follow me on my socials here!

[eoiris]

I don’t think this would be considered a spoiler… we got DICKKORY in episodes 7 and 8 and then there’s a drought in 9 and 10. I appreciate all these episodes especially since they gave us Gar, Gar/Kory and Rachel/Dick parent/child type episodes. However, can you tell us if if the DK damn breaks in 11 and 12? I NEED SOMETHING 😢 😭 😿

lol at first I was like omg OF COURSE we get DickKory in the final two episodes DUH but then I remember how awful this show has treated our ship and I fully understand the trauma response.

ngl I wasn't impressed with Project Starfire like I wanted to be but I think I was so blown away by stuff that happened in the finale that it didn't end up mattering to me when I first watched. we'll see how i feel when the episode comes out this week.

the finale has a lot of VERY VERY VERY good moments between Dick and Kory but will it satisfy everyone? I don't know. I know I WAS VERY HAPPY with the final 2 scenes of the finale. that's as close to a spoiler as I'm gonna get

[happymeishappylife]

Comics/Graphic Novels I Read in 2023 (Part 2)

11. March Book 3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

We finally got the coverage of Bloody Sunday and the heartbreaking horrible acts committed before, around, and after this day. But this story also led up to the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the fight it was to get that approved. While all our problems may not be solved, its hard not be proud of the progress that has been made. We must not let it go backwards and we all must fight. It was great to read this too before I went to Atlanta and to the Civil Rights Museum where its emphasized that we must all fight if we want real change. And that means willing to get hurt.

12. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker

A powerful first hand account of one of the most atrocious acts in United States History. When we, like Germany, decided a whole group of people were the enemy even though they were fully immigrated and living American lives when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Seeing Takei describe the things he saw through his childhood and youthful eyes while also seeing the things his parents do as an adult made it hard because so much of it felt like what happened in Germany and Polland, but without the gas chambers. That doesn’t make it okay, that we didn’t kill these people. In fact its horrific the way we treated them and its important story to tell. I also appreciate that Takei has been so vocal about it and has tried to tell it through so many mediums. I went and saw Allegiance a couple weeks after it first opened and was sad it wasn’t a smash hit because it was a great musical and powerful story. But the main takeaway is we can’t forget our history and we can’t erase it. We need to own it and make it better for those who have suffered and make sure it never happens again.

13. Iyanu: Child of Wonder Volume 1 by Roye Okupe with Godwin Akpan

I loved this introduction book into a world so steeped in African folklore and with a mystery and fantasy element to add suspense and intrigue. In this novel we meet Inayu. A forest girl who we learn survived after her parents died and became a student of a woman who is part of the Olori, the first people to have magic and mystical powers. In this world, the magic has all but disappeared and the animals have been poisoned to be more dangerous and alert. But Iyanu, who sneaks into the village from time to time, has the power of the wonder which means she is a child of prophecy. One that must be hunted by the now leader of the village for it means she is a threat. Can’t wait to see where we go in this journey with Iyanu into the histories of Yorubuland.

14. Red Hood and the Outlaws Volume 1: Redemption by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort

The more I keep interacting with Batman media, the more intriguing I find Jason Todd’s story which is why I picked this up. I want to learn more about this former Robin and how he was brought back from the dead, how he deals with crime, but also how is a former hero underneath. And while I’m not up to his full history of lore, I do like that the story focuses on him avenging the order who saved his soul after he came out of the Lazarus pit. And while this isn’t Bizarro and Artemis (like the Webtoon I’m reading) I do like this dynamic of Roy Harper and Starfire, mainly because I have always like Roy and its nice to know more of his story. The blatant oversexualized styling of Starfire is unnecessary though and something that will be hard to read through. I didn’t realize the cover art was a way to hide that but thankfully the rest of the story is interesting enough to continue.

15. Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Got to admit, this one became a little bit more tough to get through, but it felt realistic. It’s been a couple years since we have seen everyone and we learn Alana has become a TV actor who gets way too hooked on recreational drugs to do her job probably, Marko is trying to be a good Dad, but has to constantly hide his face so they aren’t recognized, and Prince Robot the IV has been hiding out on a space brothel where he learns of the murder of his wife and the kidnapping of his newborn son. Of course things unravel and people split up, but I wasn’t expecting Marko and Prince Robot the IV to team up. I doubt this will go well in the long run.

16. Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

As we learn from Hazel in this novel, it may be that her parents never get back together or least not for a long time. Which is sad when they both seem to want it. Though now that Alana is sober, Marko has given in to his rage so I’m not sure that’s healthy either. We also catch back up with Gwendolyn and the Slave girl as they team up with The Will’s sister to get an antidote to save him. However, she dies after Slave girl tries to plan hero and when they explain that to The Will after reviving him ,he wants nothing to do with the two, only focused on rage which I’m sure will help him hunt down Hazel.

17. Avatar: The Last Airbender – Smoke and Shadow by Brian Konietzko, Michael Diante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang, and Gurihirl

I haven’t read the comic collection before this which explains the reunion of Zuko’s mom, so while I was sad I got spoiled, I can’t wait to read it to find out why her face was changed by a spirit. Still we get to see Fire Lord Zuko in action when an ancient Fire Lord story comes to life as children get captured by Kemurikage, a group of young women who also are helping the Fire Lord Ozai society to uprise against Zuko. Mai and Zuko are on the outs, but team up to solve the mystery with Aang’s help, who is also needed for his humor and level headedness. What I wasn’t expecting was to find that Azula is behind the Kemuirkage, so she definitely hasn’t changed her ways.

18. Doctor Who: Ground Zero by Scott Gray, Martin Geraghty, Alan Barnes, Gareth Roberts, and Adrian Salmon

A mutli-doctor collection that eventually ties Sarah Jane, Tegan, Peri, and Ace together when an alien species is hell bent on hunting down the Doctor. Of course with the Seventh Doctor things are bound to get dark, but I was not prepared for how dark even though I’ve gotten used to comic Doctor-Who stories being darker than the show and audios. Still while it was fast pace and action packed, I also wasn’t prepared for this to be the canonical end to Ace (haha, just kidding, canon isn't real in DW). She’s the best and fought until the end, but I’m sad to learn that her story ends so tragically, making her the second companion to die while travelling with the Doctor.

19. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures Year Three #1: Breakfast at Tyranny’s by Nick Abadzis, Giorgia Sposito, Valeria Favoccia, Arianna Florean, and Hi-FI

It’s been a while since I caught up with the Doctor and Gabby Gonzalez, but I was surprised to see that Gabby’s friend Cindy has also joined her as well as a powerful ancient being named Nubis (Based on the Eygptian Gods and apparently the son of Sutekh). They arrive in ancient China and learn of a plot that is formed by the cloning of Cindy, and while they sort it out, Cindy learns her heritage starts with her clones which makes her whole life a bit of a paradox. We also see that Gabby’s powers have grown and that’s starting to cause strain between her and the Doctor.

20. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures Year Three #2: Vortex Butterflies by Nick Abadzis, Giorgia Sposito, Iolanda Zanfardino, Arianna Florean, and Nicola Righi

I’m glad to have read the next collection after the previous one because my suspicions about Gabby and the Doctor were right as they get pushed in this volume. The Doctor leaves Gabby and Cindy in London while he goes on the hunt of a mysterious anomaly that is causing time ripples. Thankfully he also clues in Sarah Jane Smith to look out for the two, but it gets harder as Gabby’s powers keep freaking out. Turns out the Doctor’s hunt leads him to a possible future Gabby whose powers are consuming the universe, but thanks to his friendship with Gabby he stops it and goes back to reassure Gabby that their friendship won’t ever devolve like that possible future.

[starsmuserainbow]

HOW I RUN MY BLOG/S.

speed. I do my best to answer at a fast time, although in the recent times it has turned into like a week reply-time, at times. I can do faster sometimes too, but before a week, there's no need to check if I got it (unless your reply isn't listed when I do my "to-owe" list).

replies. I more or less do them in the order that I get them back. I try to make it so I always write one thing on Star here, and one from any of my sideblogs in alternating, though, because recently I just had too many Star things and way too few things anywhere else going on. As of writing this, I have more things for my sideblogs that I "owe" than things on Star, but I'll probably still try to stick to this alternating of replies, for now. Also, when it comes to be that both replies (one from the sideblogs, and one from here) would be from the same person, I often change the order to pick something else into today's mix, because I feel like alternating it a little is better.

I usually operate my posting of replies without a queue, I just post something usually on the day that I finished writing it (that is, as long as I have 2 replies done). I'd say something about length too, but outside of that I simply can't do one-liners, I'm fine with pretty much any length I think.

starters. I have some open starters on each of my blogs, if that is what this point is about. Most of my open starters never get replies or not continued long though, so I kinda am doing new ones less and less these days. Writing starters for others, usually only happens after I make a call or if we discuss something. I'm more likely to send things than to write a starter out of nowhere, and I'm very very bad at sending things so that speaks volumes about just how rare it is that I'd write a starter without you knowing so beforehand.

inbox. I admit I had to delete some things from the inbox recently. I still welcome any and all asks though, be they random or from memes or whatever, anon or not. I'm sorry in advance if I will end up deleting your thing though - when you didn't send it on anon though, I'll usually message you that I have to delete the thing and/or why I have to.

honest note. I've said it before, I'm kinda struggling with Starfire at the moment. I feel like ever since I did a few things (reblog memes on here less often, keep my alternating of replies, try to be more approaching of others with the suggestion of my sideblogs) to "fix it", it's become better; I think it's just a matter of oversaturation of Star things and me growing grumpy over the fact that my other muses get neglected. I know that that's no one's fault really, I wouldn't want any of you to force interactions with characters of mine that you may not be interested in, but it still is a feeling I have. That said, here's a link to that overview of my blogs, if you do have interest I'd appreciate knowing that (by telling me, or simply, like, following that sideblog of mine or sth), and if not, that's okay too. I should've done a mainblog-multi instead of all these sideblogs, anyway.

Another thing I maybe should admit to, I do tend to default to the thought of "well they followed me first, so they should do the first step (aka sending sth in, IMing, whatever)" where it's applicable - I shouldn't think that way and I do what I can to ignore that thought and at times try to actively reach out ("do the first step") to counter thinking that way, but, I figured it's probably something I should mention.

Outside of this, I don't really know what to say.

I'm very thankful to have the wonderful amazing RP-partners that I have, and I look forward to having more fun with y'all.

[bet-on-me-13]

So Starfire and Blackfire would register as either very slowly emerging Halfa's, or very ecto-contaminated Liminals? That's great, and opens up a lot of possible scenarios...

Star is Liminal enough to adopt Danny safely after a Regression AU

Star is the only one who can see Danny anymore after his powers glitches and he got stuck invisible/constantly phasing out of Reality. He is alone and she is the only one who can see him.

Star is targeted by the GIW

Star knows all of this and just so happens to forget to mention that her Powers come from another Dimension

A Comedic scenario where Raven tries a detection spell for the first time in a while and senses the presence of an extremely powerful Realms Being, but doesn't realize that it's Star

Alternatively: Raven does realize that the reading is coming from Star, but thinks Star has been possessed

Star dies on a mission and ends up coming back as a Halfa

An intruder breaks into the Tower and tackles Starfire in a hug. It's Ellie, who finally managed to find her new Halfa sister a few weeks after discovering she existed

Blackfire knows everything but Starfire doesn't, so when Star is hurt on a mission and Blackfire is the only one who knows how to heal her, they are forced to negotiate

Starfire is kidnapped by Trigon. Originally they think it's as a Hostage for Raven, but in reality he took her as a Bride Gift for the new Ghost King. He thought The King would appreciate a wife the same species as him. He didn't.

Jazz is reincarnated as Starfire, the reason she survived the "Halfa" experiment is because her Soul was already so Liminal that no amount of ectoplasm could change it enough to matter.

Starfire died during the Experiments, but managed to make a Deal with an Extra Dimensional Being (Danny? Clockwork? Pariah?) to come back to life as a Halfa

If we use Pariah from the last one, that would mean Pariah basically Ghost Adopting her. Star and Raven bond over their "Evil Dimension Conquering God-King" Dad Trauma.

I'm done for now but I may actually make some of these into full on prompts/drabbles, they were fun to make

Prompt 133

Just thought of something. Halfas, are half ghost. Like that’s what everyone refers to them as. But ghosts never say half ghost and half human. Which? Implies, at least with the fact that Danny was in fact recognized as a halfa- that at some point there has been other halfas. And not all of them were half human. 

The realms are infinite after all! Who's to say there isn’t an alien halfa or a demon halfa or a fae halfa or all sorts of things. 

[georgetarts]

[wonderstrevors]

Starfire Appreciation week  » Day 1 — Starfire through the Years.

[forgedwithfirewhiskey]

Starfire Appreciation Week

Day 3: Favourite Relationship

[leetaesyong]

starfire appreciation week!

day 1: starfire throughout the years (past + present)

[marybatson]

STARFIRE APPRECIATION WEEK DAY TWO: TEAMWORK → Koriand’r, Buddy Baker, and Adam Strange in 52 (2006)