#team leader dream my beloved

[takomakiii]

i need sapnap to get dream into pokemon so he can hyperfixate on it and do shwodown streams please im on my knees PLE

[strawberrystepmom]

pokemon trainer au! gojo x f!reader. reader is a fairy gym leader and satoru is league champion and a flying type trainer. fluffy fluffy. couldn’t have done this without my beloved @moondust-lore so thank you as always nesi 😚 wc 1.5k

part one (you are here), part two, part three

divider by @/cafekitsune

All good adventures start with two rivals.

At least that’s what you’ve been told your entire life, your own mother regaling you with tales of her rival for as long as you can remember, long before your now full grown Lapras was even developed enough to sing her song.

Your Lapras was a gift to you from her rival and your first Pokemon, gifted to you by a man she grew up several houses away from that was once a wide eyed boy with big dreams of opening a Pokémon academy to encourage the study of these creatures in their natural habitats. He successfully opened said academy, you even attended it for several years of your life, but your rival never came along through the years that passed.

The children in your neighborhood paired off quickly, setting their own parameters for their journeys and leaving you on the outside. Your schoolmates paired off and most of them have opened their own gyms, just like you, or settled into other aspects of their lives with or without their rival.

You never really minded and still don’t, though, pleased to enjoy life flat on your back in the grass of the surprisingly large meadow that backs up to your gym, gazing at the clouds floating overhead. A rival isn’t a necessity and you’re glad, honestly, that the stress of having to keep up with someone else is something you have been able to dodge for the most part.

“Hey!”

Until today.

You sit up, brows furrowed, and that’s when you see the man who may very well be the rival you’ve been looking for.

Satoru Gojo, current Pokémon League Champion.

His starlight colored hair flops over his eyes that are covered by glasses but you know what they look like behind the dark frames because they’ve been plastered on every magazine for several months. You know his name, everyone does, and it’s hard to truly imagine why he has come back after your many declinations of his requests to battle.

“Satoru,” you huff, his name leaving your lips with a tinge of amusement as he approaches with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He grins at you and it’s cheeky as it ever has been, glistening teeth tucked between pretty mauve lips and topped with dimples.

Infuriatingly charming and handsome, as always. It isn’t enough to be powerful, he hit the lottery in more ways than one.

“Ah, is that any way to speak to an old friend?”

Snorting, you slowly rise from your spot on the ground to your feet, your beloved Espeon bounding to your side to look up at you quizzically. You shoot a wordless glance in her direction and she wraps her twin tail around your legs, looking between you and the man.

She wonders if today will be the day you give in and finally say yes to his requests for an actual battle. It has been a long time since you’ve utilized her in any sense beyond as a companion and while she doesn’t ache for battle, there are times she wishes you’d push yourself and the rest of your Pokemon a little bit harder. Less leisure, less tenderness, less lazing around.

But she also knows you, her trainer and friend, and knows this is the life you’ve chosen for all of them out of compassion so her eyes flit expectantly in Satoru’s direction while you stroke between her ears.

“We’d be friends if you would learn to take no for an answer but until then we’re just acquaintances.”

You smile and it’s sweet, no bite despite your sassy words, and the man shakes his head. He finds you equal parts fascinating and amusing, the tales of how fiercely you and your team used to battle on your own journey to become a gym leader spurring him in your direction two years ago.

“I didn’t come to ask you to battle today.”

Despite your firm no’s, he keeps coming back for no other reason than being around you. You are refreshing, unaffected by his power and status, something he has longed for since becoming Champion. It’s just you and your companions and he can never shake just how happy all of you look when he stops by impromptu.

“Then what can I do for you?”

He shuffles closer to you and reaches down to run his finger over the velvety ear of your Espeon who remains still as ever, her eyes shutting. You scoff and roll your eyes.

“Don’t mind her, she’s shameless.”

Chuckling, he shrugs and looks around the meadow to spot who else you are spending time with out here. Your Lapras floats on the small pond, blinking slowly in Satoru’s direction. A Grookey ruffles the grass a few feet away from you, ears poking out between pastel colored flowers and your Skitty shakes her tail in his direction, an invitation to play.

It’s so unlike his own former gyms which confirms he made the right decision. The decision? Well, he already anticipates watching your jaw drop before he speaks the words aloud for the first time.

“I’ve decided to vacate my spot as Champion to go and travel.” Your jaw does drop, eyes widening in shock.

“Can you even do that?”

He nods, thumb still pressed to the Espeon’s velvety ear.

“Not without a lot of argument but yes and I’ve already done it so there’s no changing my mind.”

You understand, approaching and placing a hand on his shoulder. The touch isn’t unwelcome and he plays off the pink on the tips of his ears, glancing down at you through white lashes.

“I wouldn’t ever try to change your mind but will you tell me why?”

Gojo sighs and it’s almost concerningly heavy for a man who is so light as air he even partners with Flying type Pokémon specifically. You feel for him, certain the pressures of being Champion can be enough to get even the strongest of them all down, and you keep your hand pressed to his shoulder.

“When I was working toward becoming Champion my focus was so singular I missed out on everything. I only did what had to be done to get here and now I’ve realized I haven’t experienced, well, anything. I want to enjoy the journey and not simply the destination.”

Your heart beats hard in your chest, moved by his honesty. You’ve always been friendly with the man and it’s not a wonder that he’s Champion, he is the strongest, but you do wonder why he came here to tell you this.

“I want you to come with me.”

Breath catching in your throat, you are shocked by the words.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. If anyone can show me how to slow down and enjoy it, it has to be little miss on her back watching the clouds roll by.”

The nickname is a bit of a mouthful but you smile anyway, looking up at him and twisting your mouth to the side.

“Let me ask the council,” you shoot and he nods understandingly, watching you sink to a squat beside your Espeon.

“What do you think?”

She chirps excitedly and you sigh, hoping she’d be on your side for once, but her thirst for adventure is bigger than her loyalty to you by some strange miracle. It has been too long since you and her and your friends have been out on the routes and she hungers to roll around in new grass. You pet her again and nod, rising to standing.

“Okay. I’m sure I’m the last person you asked and the only one to say yes and I’d hate to leave you lonely.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “You were the first and the only one I wanted to ask.”

Espeon chirps again at your feet and you toss her another glance, forgetting how astute your partner truly is despite the separation of Pokemon and human between the two of you.

“I’ll be back in three days to pick you up so make sure you have everything you need.”

Your traitorous heart pounds even harder knowing what’s to come. Traveling, alone, with Gojo sounds undeniably thrilling and you will ponder later when you’re alone what’s to come.

For now, you smile and nod.

“Okay, champ. But know I won’t make the journey easy on you.”

He grins once again, pearly whites gleaming while Grookey hops out of the grass a few feet away from him and clings to his leg, the large man kneeling slightly to pet the creature.

“Which is exactly why I invited you.”

The words are so loaded even you catch the weight and you shuffle from foot to foot, Espeon still wound around your calves. The sun blazes overhead and clouds continue to pass and in an instant you realize that you may not have gained that rival you’ve been dodging but perhaps you’ll yet gain a friend.

“I won’t keep you for any longer but be ready for me, okay?”

You nod and try to hide your grin by tucking your chin against your chest and glancing at the ground below.

Perhaps you’ve gained something more than a friend, even.

[somerandomcockroach]

Okay-okay-okay, I really need to put out some silly thoughts from "Autocracy" IDW and sleep peacefully Of course I liked it ha-ha, it is filled with revolution, double revolution, triple revolution Autocracy spoilers, I guess?

• They call each other old-timers if they are older pffht • Firstly, help, Soundwave's kids are CRAZY, I mean I saw them fighting good against autobots but when Soundwave was running away, he was just "Go, my pokemon", and his kids were absolutely destroying everyone on his tail • OH I ABSOLUTELY LOVED all dialogues between Megatron and Orion Pax, from future I got that they were friends, so they know each other, but somehow Megatron is much better at guessing how Orion will act. Megatron thinks as a real tactician, using bots as his weapon, having a backup plan even if it required lifes of other bots. Orion, even from his origin, never seemed a person of "plan b", he improvise but he relies a lot on his comrades, they are a strong team, they are his plan b, and while this whole corruption situation was irritating him more and more, he became more violent and less considerable about proper plans, it goes as it goes. I guess that's why Megatron was underestimating him plus added the fact of how much power he got. Yeeeet~ Orion is using what Megatron did write, quotes it, and I'm sure he meant it in the right way, while Megatron's way is violent. "Criminal posing as a revolutionary and revolutionary posing as a cop" is my fav ship. He is using Orion in his plans in pretty curly and good ways ○ OKAY, a little note, but Megatron finds Starscream as very useful and trustful liege, it started amazing me from Megatron's origin where they were coming up with plans on spot without discussing. Then Sterscream really is good with his talking, responsible for many-many things and achieves them successfully. It is so surprising for me after all the jokes about them pfffht

(Megatron in his happy dreams happily holding hands with Orion and destroying autocracy together, but then he wakes up because remembers he will have to kill him then)

I'm cackling again. "Protect autobots at all cost!". Decepticons "Huh, how worthy these bots must b- "*sees Orion* "Ah, no more questions"

When you want to get your beloved you must push to the very end pfffffht

• I KNOW RODIMUS. I know him from future series and AHAHHAH OH MY EMOTIONS WHEN I SAW THAT HE WAS THE BOMBER, and played a big part in this story, the absolute opposite side of his character! I remember reading fic by @/lush-specimen where Hot Rod was helping EVERY bot in need, decepticons or autobots, taking everyone in need. AND NOW I SO MUCH SEE IT. He was another kind of revolutionary, he was the middle, oppressed kind of bots. He is a pretty young one, he lived in golden era, in alive city, now bots are dying on his eyes yet he protects and stands for them. He DIDN'T join decepticons yet he was fighting against cops. BUT he saw that maybe Orion can help since he was against government. He helped decepticons to show the truth to the ones who could change something, because he saw that it can help them, not decepticons. He isn't that funny ha-ha boy I saw in mtmte and ll. He had to burst his own "family" so that they will not become the fuel for Zeta Prime's destruction tools. Their deaths were on him. He became the leader to get out his people and did bear their deaths on his shoulders. No wonder he became a good even if silly leader in the future, he knows the price of life.

Writers: "Let's leave a hint about him being the new ruler. BUT LITTLE DID THEY KNOW WHAT HIS CHARAcTER WILL BE AHAHHAHA"

• "Till all are one". The matrix. THIS IS WHAT KEPT ME IN CHOKEHOLD AHAH. This phrase come from here, the change of Orion come from here, it all is in here. LISTEN. THA MATRIX LET THE HOLDER FEEL SPARKS. HE FELT SPARKS OUTSIDE THE PLANET. I wonder if he feels when someone's spark fades/dies, does he feel something about it or he got so used to it. I was wondering how exactly and from what point Orion changed to his serious Prime. He could NOT NOT change. The matrix gave him an ability to feel everyone, gave him an understanding of the concept of what unity of bots is. He could never become his past again because he bears this burden of lifes that he will never be able to get rid of now. But what made me sad is that Metroplex recognised him as his "old friend". He didn't call him by name of that friend. I guess it is because he had decades of such friends. They all have pretty similar ideas and characters. They get matrix and the same idea gets in their head. They become someone who already was there, real side of you erasers even if not completely. PFhegfheg. Even the name he got. He himself can't get used to it, meaning he has to get used to it like he is forced to his new self

• Prowl ~ There are earlier times and I don't see that great tactician that I used to read about him. He is a good soldier, who follows orders, he trusts Orion, he follows his orders, he isn't the one coming up with plans. He still is more groundly on the "rule" side, but he understands what is bad for bots, he listens to Orion more, he is the one who gives final orders. He ends up going against government, siding with these dissidents, even siding with decepticons to get rid of what could have destroyed them all. It's just a bit unusual for me to see him be "in team", follow, don't have his own side plan, don't be beaten up wheeeeze

• That's a bit.... sad to see them like this, knowing who Shockwave was before. And now it is this.

• Oh, they yap at each other, shipped

• Don't look, kid, parents are fighting

Okay, ahaha, I feel like I've wrote something too messy to understand or too silly to be real, my only thoughts left are described by tsche-chu-chu-che-tsche

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Jennifer Lee and Marc Smith revealed as director and writer for Frozen 3 and 4 + Lee no longer WDAS's CCO | News

The source comes from the Hollywood Reporter:

Frozen Fan's wish comes true... Sort of. Jennifer Lee has been replaced as Walt Disney Animation Studio's Chris Creative Officer by Jared Bush. Those of you wanted Jennifer Lee to step down from her role as CCO of WDAS have won but she is confirmed directing and writing Frozen 3 and 4. But not for the reason you wanted, but for a better reason actually. We knew she was involved with the film's making but didn't know that she would write it and direct it with Marc Smith, who some of us speculated as director.

For those who don't know who Jared Bush is, he's the co-director and co-writer of Zootopia, director of Encanto and producer of Raya and the trj Last Dragon. Both him and Lee are currently executive producers on Moana 2.

Disney Co-Chairman, Alan Burgerman has said the following, “Jared Bush is an incredible filmmaker and a talented executive who’s been a prominent creative force at Disney Animation for the past decade, and I am thrilled that he’ll be taking the reins of this storied studio. [...] I also want to thank Jennifer Lee for her passionate leadership of the studio over the past several years — she’s made an indelible mark on both Disney Animation and the industry. I know she has so many more stories to tell, and there is truly no one better suited to oversee the continuation of the beloved story of Frozen.”

Bush has said, “I am so deeply grateful to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their faith in me, and thankful to Jennifer for her leadership and for her generous support as she embarks on the next chapters of Frozen. Disney Animation is home to some of the greatest stories and characters of the past century, and I’m so excited to work with all of our filmmakers, artists, and Disney Animation team members as we shape the future of this legendary studio together.”

But here's the most revealing part. In a note Lee sent to the staff of WDAS, reads:

Morning All,

For so many of us here, our dreams came true when we joined Walt Disney Animation Studios. I pinch myself every day that I get to be a part of the Disney magic with all of you, as our stories bring genuine hope, wonder, possibility, entertainment and joy to the world through the beautiful craft of animation. It has been my great honor to be CCO these past six years. I’m so proud of all we’ve built together, weathered together, and discovered together. The love, dedication, talent, and passion you all show every day is not just an inspiration to me, it’s an inspiration to the world.

As you know from Alan’s email, I will be returning to filmmaking full time writing and directing with Marc Smith on FROZEN 3 and FROZEN 4. I admit, I was hooked from the moment Marc first pitched this new adventure for our gang, and I am in awe of the incredible work he has done since then developing this powerful story. As a studio, we are fairly new to musical sequels, and this will be our first story told over two films at once. I’m excited for the challenge and so grateful for this opportunity to return to filmmaking, and can think of no better way to do so than with our FROZEN family.

One of the things that makes Disney so special is our commitment to having filmmakers as our studio leaders. This morning, Alan also announced that Jared Bush has agreed to be our new Chief Creative Officer. Jared’s talents as an animation writer and director stretch far beyond the ZOOTOPIAs, the MOANAs, and ENCANTO. He is committed to this studio and its future, and I truly believe that his passion, his tireless work ethic, and his pursuit of excellence will only make us stronger.

I am so grateful to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their incredible support and guidance over all these years. Every moment I’ve gotten to work with them has been a master class in creativity, business, community, and integrity. I want to thank them for supporting my decision to return to filmmaking at this studio that I love so much.

I also want to thank Clark Spencer, the greatest partner anyone could ever have. He is brilliant, patient, and, like Kristoff from FROZEN, he’s the honest goods. He is our rock and will continue to be. And I could not have made it through the hours without Eileen Aguirre. Her care for this studio, her knowledge, and her considerate spirit remains a beacon to all of us.

I can’t wait to get back in the rooms with you! Thank you again for everything; you’re all worth melting for.

Sincerely,

Jenn

So from these statements, especially Jennifer Lee's note, it is confirmed that she has stepped down from the role of CCO because she decided to be a full-time writer and director on Frozen 3 and 4 with Marc Smith., who was the storyboard director for the previous films but now is co-writer and co-director. Those who speculated Marc from the moment Jennifer Lee gave the hint in previous interviews, we're spot on! I didn't believe it at first but obviously should have since he gave the initial idea.

I know Jennifer Lee has gotten a lot of hate since Frozen 2 and we're glad to hear that she isn't writing or directing Frozen 3 and 4 (until now) but it's not bad news because I'm sure she's learned her lesson, main one being to give the story a good amount of time to develop before rushing into things that haven't been fully thought out yet, hence Frozen 3 a release date being delayed to Nov 2027 from the expected Nov 2026. Plus Marc Smith is helping her so it will definitely be different than the previous two with a new co-director/ writer and a fully developed story.

The concept art definitely looks promising though it's far from final. So yes I have full trust in the movies but also a little cautiously as one should be.

[kirisaki-daichi-scenarios]

the boys as bodyguards

dedicated to absolutely no one. sure this is an asks blog - does that mean i have to actually answer them? i know i know bad admins bad admins whatcha gonna do whatcha gonna do when they come for you but i had a dream ages ago now that involved bodyguards, tsunamis, and also a shit ton of murder. don't ask. anyway, it got me pondering. and then it took literal months to write this so i figured i'd post what i've got so far, and maybe i'll update with the rest of the boys later, depending on how well this does/how much time i have

hanamiya makoto

hanamiya’s the package deal

he’s the chief advisor; he’s the doctor; he’s the bodyguard; he’s the sniper. just a right hand man in every way possible.

i mean, he’s not literally your right hand man: he’s the leader of a team, and often it’ll be one of his men there next to you at events, but he’s always supervising or coordinating or collecting intel

ie he’s dedicated to his job. he does like engineering spider’s webs after all.

having said that, he’s also an uncontrollable prick

he’s the best at giving you advice, both in terms of navigating high society and in terms of actual business advice, but is he going to give that advice without slipping in a snide comment about how you should really know all this by now? when you tell him to make sure to take a break some time, is he going to stop himself from saying “maybe if you weren’t so incredibly useless on your own, i’d be able to.”

and sure maybe he’s breaking the universal declaration of human rights with what he does to the people who dare to try harm you, but you don’t know about that

need to know basis type beat

you don’t even have access to the full floor plans of your own property, which includes a basement you’ll never know about, let alone step foot in. hanamiya keeps that information very close to his chest.

gotta make sure his employer has plausable deniability

gotta make double sure that you don’t find out about half the things he does - from the ways he sources his information, to his very dodgy organised crime links, to the number of people that have sadly lost their lives in the name of “fuck it, you’re pissing me off” - because he hates when you bang on about bullshit like “laws” and “morals”

after all, if everyone followed your beloved laws and morals, then you’d have no need for his services

as he always tells you, he’s just your pet necessary evil

yamazaki hiroshi

i reckon he only got into the bodyguard business because he spent his childhood wanting to be a samurai but, well you know, that’s not really a job opportunity anymore

what it does mean though is that he’s all about bushido: mastering his work, bravery, honesty, etc - and above all else loyalty to one’s employer

on a random thursday afternoon, he’ll tell you, completely nonchalantly, straight face, “i would die for you if that’s what it takes. on my life, i’ll always keep you safe.”

you’re staring at him like wtf and/or trying to stop yourself blushing, but he thinks that’s a completely normal thing to say cause he’s just following bushido

of course, late one night, he’ll wake up realise how weird that came across and he’ll spend the next week trying not to blush whenever you talk to him

just like the time he spent a week kicking himself after you walked in on him training, shirtless and rather sweaty, and when you told him he should take a break, he said “but i need to train so my body can be at its best for you”

again, at the time that sounded very reasonable, serious, and totally bushido to him. it’s only later that he’s freaking out in his room like why in god’s name did he say that.

but hey that’s bodyguard!yamazaki for you. a little weird, a little socially inept, but loyal to a fault

haizaki shougo

can you imagine the number of jobs that this man has lost for sleeping on the job?

he’s only got his current gig looking after you because his prices are cheaper and you were getting desperate to find someone in your budget

he’s a ...uhh… unique bodyguard? in the sense that he’ll get you out of harms way eventually, but "eventually" is the key word there

haizaki actively ignores intel that a certain location might be dangerous, because he really just wants to get into fights. sure you might get in the way occasionally, maybe even get some nasty bruises, but hey you get what you pay for.

you want a good bodyguard, save up some money, idiot.

literally the only reason he got into being a bodyguard is so he can beat people up legally (and because he got dishourably discharged from the military); he doesn’t care that much about the whole ‘protecting’ side of things

he’s also the type to ditch you the minute a better paying job comes up (possibly combat work as a mercenary). however he’s not as cold-hearted as he may seem, and he’ll happily spend a day of leave breaking into your penthouse

so that when you return in the evening, he’s there sat on an armchair, grinning smugly, “man your security’s turned to shit since i left.”

shortly followed by, “miss me?”

jason silver

jason’s the quintessential bodyguard, cause, after all, having a very muscular 6’11 man follow you everywhere you go isn’t exactly subtle

but he’s recognisable for other reasons as well.

like the fact that he’ll accompany you to formal balls, and he’ll be the only man there with an undone tie - it’s such a massive argument trying to get him to wear an appropriate suit instead of his usual hoodies and sweatpants, that can anyone blame you for not having the energy to insist he stops undoing his tie as well?

he’s also not exactly one for professionality. like you’ll be minding your business, trying to network, and suddenly you’ll hear a wolf whistle by your ear and a “wouldn’t mind me a bit of that”

“jason, that’s the ambassador to norway. we’re having her over for dinner next week, so, with all due respect, shut the fuck up. and whisper next time, for heaven’s sake! what if someone had heard you?”

“shit, is it a crime to like some nice tits in this economy?”

and when you glare at him, genuinely furious, he grins, puts his hands up, and says, “sorry, sorry. forgot you don’t like me having eyes for anyone else, boss.”

but don’t get me wrong, jason’s not all evil contra to fujimaki’s propaganda

he is an incredibly good bodyguard - those animal instincts really help him out when it comes to getting you out of a sniper’s line of sight, or saving you from a bullet, or just assessing a room for potential entry points. and he packs a mean punch if anyone tries to try something on you, a solid ko.

no one’s getting past him essentially

the only problem is that it’s incredibly difficult to thank jason for saving your life, cause the last thing he needs is an ego boost or feeling like you owe him.

“seriously jason. i don’t know how i can ever repay you.”

“usually the payslip’s enough,” he smirks, “but you know that little lady ambassador-“

unsuprisingly, he’s not invited to the dinner.

[villafordefeatedvillains]

saw one of my posts tagged as divorceduo so i went to go see what this meant and saw that they were your ocs and now im very curious about these ocs

HELLO STRANGER IN MY INBOX. LET ME GIVE YOU THE SHORT RUNDOWN OF THE SILLIES. They're sort of an AU of HLVRAI characters? It's complex. So we have Laplace (she/her), a were-coyote mad scientist who becomes a were-creature because an experiment goes wrong. Cast out from society, she befriends the Mad Science Team, a group of ragtag misfit scientists who want to conquer the world and make it a better place than they found it. The Mad Science Team *also* includes Sleepless (they/them, ze/zer, it/its), a dream-themed mad scientist who skews a bit more "evil" on the moral scale than the rest of the Team, which really just means that they're sort of in it for the power and fame and to support their pals. Laplace and Sleepless fall in love, until Sleepless ends up being exiled from the team because their ambition starts to scare the others. Things go well for Laplace until an experiment goes horribly, horribly wrong and causes a Resonance Cascade, ripping holes in reality and allowing dangerous aliens to pour onto Earth. Laplace is late to the experiment and arrives to find that the entire Team, minus Sleepless, was killed by the radiation. She meets up with Sleepless to go and attempt to stop the alien invaders at their source, Xen, but along the way Sleepless is struck by falling rubble and decapitated. Laplace manages to kill the leader of the aliens and is approached by a God - The Old Man (he/it), who is the God of Death, and the father of one of her deceased friends. He tells her he is proud and to keep her head up and not let her grief consume her. She tells him to fuck right off and directly blames him for the death of the Team, reasoning that if he has power over death, he could have stopped it (he could not). He leaves her be and she is approached by a representative of the Combine, a colonialist alien empire, asking to strike a deal. 20 years on, Laplace is ruling Earth as a completely anonymous figurehead, merely a puppet for the Combine as they strip Earth of everything it has to offer. But somewhere along the way, she managed to get ahold of godly essence - the essence of the very same god she hates. She uses the godly essence to resurrect Sleepless, who promptly changes their name to Cotard and takes advantage of Laplace having remained anonymous to knock her out and get her placed on a train heading into City 17, one of Earth's few remaining cities, and the biggest. They couldn't bear seeing their beloved so miserable and are taking the fall for her, smugly gloating about how they've TOTALLY been the guy that signed Earth over to alien colonizers the WHOLEEEE TIME and pretending to be the villain people generally think they are. And after that, well... We've got ideas for a comic about them so I won't spoil *too* much. But that's the basic gist of the Divorceduo! Two very flawed selfish mad scientists making really bad decisions because they think it's what the other would want. But there's hope for them to get better :]

[whumperofworlds]

4 (hallucinations/hypnosis/sensory deprivation/"you're still alive in my head") or 20 (emotional angst/shoulder to cry on/giving permission to die/"it's not your fault")for Alder? (whumptober prompt ask thing)

Whumptober 2024 Days 20/30: I'm Here

TAGS: @gala1981 @whumptober-archive @crash-bump-bring-the-whump @rebelxwriter @expressionless-fr

@fourwingedsnake @whumble-beeee @whumpninja @kingxlinkwrites (let me know if you wanna be added or removed!)

CWS: nightmares, past character death, hurt/comfort, electrocution, male whumpee, male caretaker, whumpee x caretaker.

A/N: N/A

ENJOY!!!

_____

Shoulder to cry on / Giving permission to die / "It's not your fault."

Hospital bed / Holding back tears / "What have I done?"

Alder let out a gasp as he sat up from his bed, sweat beading down his face and his breathing heavy. His eyes were wide, scanning the darkness as he tried to calm himself. He breathed in through his nose, before letting it out with his mouth; it only took a few times of this did he finally begin to calm down.

It was just a nightmare. A nightmare of his past.

He had dreamt of his little brother, Anthony, strapped to Veda's operating table, constantly shocked by one of Veda's newest inventions. Brennus stood beside Alder, taunting Anthony and Alder; Anthony for crying and Alder for letting this happen.

Alder tried to get to his little brother, but he couldn't—the glass between him and Anthony prevented him from saving his brother, and he could only watch and cry out for Anthony.

Then Anthony's screams stopped abruptly. He was killed by the electricity.

The dream remained in his mind, as his body shook from the fear that gripped him. It was just a nightmare. Nothing more.

Tears threatened to fall, but he held them back. He wasn't going to cry over some dream. He needed to rest; he and the other Fierce Forests had a mission to do in the morning, and Alder would be useless if he stayed up.

However, he couldn't get back to sleep, no matter how hard he tried. He twisted and turned in his bed, but sleep wouldn't come.

With a long sigh, he slowly left his bed, putting on a pair of slippers, before he left his room. He was careful not to wake up the other team members—they didn't need to know that their leader was so freaked out over a nightmare anyway. He didn't want to worry them over that.

He stepped outside of the fort, before sitting down on one of the steps of the back door's stairs. He glanced up at the midnight sky, the moon shining and the stars creating constellations.

He remembered the names of these constellations. But his mind was blank. He couldn't focus on them. His focus remained on the nightmare he had.

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he tried so hard to keep them in check. No. Not now. He couldn't cry now. He was a strong leader—he shouldn't be crying over a dream like this.

He breathed in and out through his nose in an attempt to calm himself, but the tears threatened to fall. His brother… oh, his sweet little brother. He didn't deserve what had happened to him. And it was all his fault that Anthony died. If he hadn't been so reckless… if he had thought more—

"Aldy?"

Alder nearly jumped at the voice behind him, before turning his head. His beloved Hawthorn stood in the doorway, a frown on his face. His hat was missing, revealing green hair that swayed slightly in the midnight breeze.

"H-Hawy," Alder stuttered, "what are you doing up?"

"I was gonna ask the same thing," Hawthorn said, moving to sit beside his Aldy. He frowned as he studied Alder's face. He noted the tears that were pricking his eyes, and that Alder was shaking. "Are… you okay?"

Alder nodded fervently. "O-of course. I am sorry. I did not mean to wake you."

"No no," Hawthorn reassured, "you didn't wake me up. I couldn't sleep."

Hawthorn's frown intensified as he could see the tears close to falling from Alder's eyes. What was going on? Did something happen?

"...You're crying," Hawthorn pointed out.

Alder's eyes widened, before he shook his head frantically. No no no. Hawthorn shouldn't worry over him like this.

"I… am fine, my love," Alder attempted to reassure, "I-I just—"

He stopped, however, when Hawthorn placed a hand on Alder's shoulder. Hawthorn noted how much Alder was shaking, and he scooted closer to him.

"You had another nightmare?" Hawthorn whispered.

Alder shook his head, opening his mouth to tell Hawthorn that no, he just couldn't sleep. That was all. But upon seeing Hawthorn's stern look, he knew that he couldn't lie to his boyfriend.

The gist was up.

"...Yes," Alder sighed, "I had another nightmare. About Anthony and Brennus…"

"Your brother, right?" Hawthorn questioned, frowning as his eyes were filled with sympathy. "Oh Aldy…"

"It… is okay," Alder whispered, shaking his head. "It is nothing new to me. My Anty is safe now, away from this. I just… I…"

The tears he tried so hard to hide began to spill, and they fell down his cheeks as he sniffled. Why? Why did Anthony have to suffer instead of him? What did his sweet little brother do to lose his life? Why? Why?

Hawthorn didn't hesitate. He scooted closer to his Aldy before gathering him in his arms. Alder didn't move away, he embraced his beloved tightly as he sobbed in Hawthorn's shoulder.

Hawthorn hushed him gently, rocking him back and forth and his hand rubbing circles on Alder's back.

"I-I…" Alder sobbed.

"Sh sh sh," Hawthorn whispered, "it's okay. Just let it out."

And Alder did, as he sobbed into Hawthorn's shoulder for several minutes. His broken heart began to fix itself as he cried, and the crying came to a stop. He sniffled, holding his beloved Hawy like his life depended on it. Hawthorn smiled slightly as Alder's sobs ebbed away.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

Alder nodded in Hawthorn's shoulder, before he finally let go. He wiped away a stray tear from his eye, before he averted his gaze from Hawthorn's. "...I apologize."

"No, there's no need to apologize," Hawthorn reassured. "Just…" He slipped his hand to hold Alder's, squeezing it slightly. Alder did the same, squeezing his beloved's hand for comfort. "I know you want to be strong for us, but you don't have to do it all the time. If you need to cry, cry. Don't hold it in. Can you do that for me from now on, love?"

Alder nodded, sniffling as he wiped away another stray tear that fell. He smiled slightly as he pecked Hawthorn on the cheek. Hawthorn chuckled at the tickle of Alder's kiss, before he patted Alder's hand.

"Thank you, Hawy," Alder whispered. "I'm so lucky to have someone like you."

"Of course, love."

The two sat on the steps, glancing up at the night sky. Alder took the moment to tell Hawthorn the constellations until he fell asleep on Hawthorn's shoulder. The green-haired archer smiled when he heard his beloved's soft snoring, before gathering him up in his arms and carrying him back inside. He too was lucky to have his Aldy by his side.

[thunder-threnodies]

Today I bring to you my Poke!Fallensona!

Not a Gym Leader but an old Trainer travelling the world with their trusty team!

Explanations below the pic!

Mightyena: obvious pic, I love my Dream Hound dearly; he's such a good boy!!!

Bisharp: commander of Pawniards, fitting for a Captain. Also, Great Game wink;

Sharpedo: not just a Captain but a PIRATE Captain! A savage and ruthless Pokemon for a savage, ruthless Captain;

Dragalge: a trusty companion, excellent swimmer and poisonous just like a peculiar honey yours truly Silverer here can brew...

Dhelmise: a companion met whilst visiting the Court of the Fathomking. Drownies often have a Dhelmise but this one found me during a shipwreck and brought me back to London;

Crobat: my beloved Violant-Winged Bat. It has been across the Unterzee and to strangers lands still. My own soul's companion. I will never get rid of it;

[tending-the-hearth]

ALRIGHT BESTIES BUCKLE UP FOR MY MUTANT MAYHEM COMMENTARY

i will kick this off by saying that Mutant Mayhem is quite honestly one of my favorite iterations of the turtles EVER, second only to the 2012 versions.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR MUTANT MAYHEM (duh lmao)

the theme of having a family and a place to belong was established from the VERY beginning of the movie, so yeah, heartbreaking start lmao

Baxter's devotion to his children was just 😭😭

literally the best version of Splinter EVER i will not hear any arguments

I'd lay down my life for these boys in a heartbeat

the way Leo gets teased is SO perfectly how siblings tease each other, the little mocking tones and gestures is literally how my siblings and i act with each other

no bc Splinter having a history of being rejected by those around him and the boys being all he has and the one time he tries to go into a new environment it goes terribly and that's what leads him to never wanting the boys to leave 😭

but of course it's also SUCH a valid explanation for how he behaves like ofc he's going to try to keep his sons safe!!

the boys are so silly goofy kiddos i love them

"i dream of violence every night" "i think you have a problem" RAPH I LOVE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART

their excitement over the fight in the bike shop was so!!!! they're finally being heroes

Leo's little crush on April is literally the cutest thing wtf

the "bacon egg and cheese" moment was 100% some inside joke between the turtles' VAs, it was so random that it couldn't be anything else lmao

BUT i'm not complaining because that added so much to the boys!!

i love April, she's so realistically hesitant about the turtles, but also realizes that they can help with Superfly

also she has a list of questions she wants to ask the turtles, and one of the questions was "how many people has the red-banded turtle killed? does he need therapy?" and i cackled

the montage of them finding the different bosses!!!! and each turtle getting his own moment!!!

"why did you punch him, he told us everything!!!" Raph was in a silly goofy mood <3

Mondo has no thoughts. No brain.

The way the other mutants immediately started treating the boys like little brothers?????? my heart????

Bebop and Rocksteady being twins is my favorite thing

Mondo being truly heartbroken by the boys kicking him out of the van, he was so sad

Wingnut just trying to look out for her little brothers!!

THEY GOT FUCKING MILKED

Splinter literally not caring about anything else he just wants his boys safe!!

The other mutants turning against Superfly because they don't want to hurt the humans, they just want to be family!

Splinter realizing his mistake in sheltering his boys so much, and helping them destroy the device!!! growth!!!

His speech to the boys about how even if he doesn't like humans, the boys do, and he wants them to be able to be happy, so if helping the humans makes them happy, then he'll do everything he can to make sure that happens 😭😭😭

THE SHOT OF THEM ALL WALKING TOWARDS THE CITY AND APRIL THROWING RAPH THE ANTI-MUTAGEN GUN??? HELLO???

okay but the moment where all the news channels are reporting about the boys and their team being monsters, and it's just spinning around the boys as they realize they might never be accepted broke my heart

Leo stepping up as leader and recognizing his brothers' skills my beloved

WE GOT A SLO-MO COWABUNGA LINE

Splinter flashing between when he brought the boys to the surface for the first time and the humans chasing them away vs. the humans approaching him with concern and helping him to his feet 😭😭

THE HUMANS TEAMING UP TOGETHER WITH THE MUTANTS TO GET THE CARTRIDGE TO THE BOYS I'M FUCKING SOBBING

The mutants living together, they're a family your honor 😌

MIKEY LEAVING BEHIND HIS MASK

They got to go to school!!!!

and each of them finding their own group outside of their brothers!!

Donnie with his computer friends!

Mikey joining improve!!

Raph joining wrestling!!

April and Leo looking into TCRI!! Leopril truthers rise up!!

And the final mid-credits scene leading into the TV show with the hint towards TCRI still kicking AND AND AND

THE SHREDDER TEASE AT THE END??? HOLY SHIT??? HE LOOKS SO COOL???

There were also so many little background things that made me emotional, like the LGBTQIA+ flyers on the school poster board, the trans flag pinned next to the flyers, the little scribbles on the lockers and April's helmet, the details were just so so perfect. there honestly wasn't a single thing i didn't love about the movie!!!

GO SEE IT WHEN YOU CAN

[romancingromanoff]

Night Terrors

Andromache the Scythian x f!reader

I decided to create a series of loosely related one shots for Andromache (my beloved). Here’s part 1 

Summary: A revisit to your past and you learn about an old member

TW: Mentions of child abuse, torture, choking, drowning

Word count: 2,437

After a long day of training you were completely spent. Already feeling the soreness start to settle in while you ate dinner with the team, you went straight to bed after that. It hadn’t taken very long for you to drift off into the realm of dreams.

Nicky and Joe were the first to notice you thrashing in your sleep. The two were trying to inconspicuously sneak back inside the safe house late at night when they heard some concerning noises coming from the corner where your mattress was.

You took a deep gasp of air as you were pulled up to a sitting position, a firm hand supporting your upper back. Could it be her? It was too dark to register anything besides the lingering sense of danger that wafted around you.

“Stop! Don’t touch me!” Desperately trying to get away from your assailant, you threw yourself out of bed and painfully landed on your left shoulder.

“Y/N, it’s us, Nicky and Joe. You’re safe, kid. It was just a bad dream.”

Once you were able to recognize the two pairs of eyes nervously staring at you the panic began to subside. You were awake and it was only a nightmare.

“Let me help you up.” Joe reached out for your hand but both of yours immediately grabbed at your own throat. It still felt like she was suffocating you. Nicky turned the lights on causing you to shield your eyes from their brightness.

“Is everything okay?” Your head shot up right as Andy burst in on the scene, the right side of her head had a few hairs sticking up and her eyes looked slightly groggy. They seemed to widen when she caught sight of you on the floor. “Y/N! What happened?”

“I-I…”

“Is everyone alright?” Booker nearly tripped into the room but caught himself and leaned on the back of the couch. “If it’s another spider I really don’t want to deal with it. I had to kill the last one.”

“Y/N was having a nightmare,” Joe explained and the Frenchman’s expression seemed to change.

“What did you see, kid?”

The clashing realities began to slowly fade with every breath you took. Still, the muffled voice of the strange woman rang in your ear. Andy whispered something soft and comforting in your other one. It was a language you didn’t recognize.

Andy, oh sweet Andy. Your ruthless leader. Only a few hours ago she shared a story about the time she took out a dozen assassins with just a leather belt and some duct tape. Now here she was rubbing small circles against your back and holding your hand to stop you from hurting yourself any further. You glanced at each of your other team members and noticed how silent it had become, yet none of them pushed you to talk. All they offered you was unwavering patience and understanding. Wiping the tears from your face, you eventually spoke as your grasp on reality strengthened.

“My mother. She choked me for so long once when I was seventeen that I nearly died. It felt so real though.”

There’s a shift from each of your teammates at your confession, each one slightly different with how they react. Joe shakes his head in disgust and his lips form a thin flat line. Booker’s face breaks and he gazes at you with pity. Nicky sighs deeply, you think he might try to reach out to you at that moment but he holds himself back. By now they know how easily triggered you are by touch even if you trust them.

Andy was the one to rest her hand on your shoulder. Only she was allowed right now. You could tell it was hers before she even made full contact. When you faced her, it reminded you of the first time you had met and she had promised to protect you. She looked more determined now than ever.

She squeezed your shoulder ever so gently and you knew you were safe.

“I could’ve sworn I was back there reliving that exact moment and then… it switched.”

In your dream, you began to lose consciousness as your mother continued to grip at your life force and dark patches blurred your vision. But instead of the light returning as oxygen once again filled your lungs like it had in the moment, the darkness became all encompassing. You weren’t simply imagining it was there, you could feel that nothing but pitch black blanket stretched on for miles in every direction. And though you’d never swam in the sea, you knew exactly where you were.

“I saw a woman trapped in a giant metal coffin at the bottom of the ocean. She kept drowning and coming back, drowning and coming back all alone in the darkness. It was like I could feel her anger, her rage.”

The other immortals exchanged knowing glances which made you worried. A thick silence hung in the air, allowing the nerves to creep back up your spine.

“Did I… Did I say something wrong?”

“No, of course not,” Joe assured you while Book and Nicky quickly joined in. “We’re glad you told us, Y/N.”

But Andy suddenly seemed a million miles away.

They tell you all about Quynh and the events that transpired during the witch trials, the decades they spent searching for anyone who might know where she was, only for all of their efforts to end with the same results. The mere thought of having to endure such never-ending suffering with no hope of escaping the cycle makes purgatory itself seem merciful and brief.

“It’s why we fear capture,” Nicky says. “It’s also why Andy blames herself after all of these years.”

“Why do you blame yourself?”

“I lost a soldier,” Andy’s voice pools with guilt and it stings you to see her torment herself in such a way. “My job is to protect everyone on the team and I couldn’t do that.” There’s a bitterness in her expression you tell yourself not to take personally. With everything she’s been through and all the stories she’s told, this one is laced with the most regret.

This time it’s you who reaches out and grabs her hand. “I would never presume to understand exactly how you feel but we’re immortal, Andy. That doesn’t mean we’re all-powerful or perfect. You tried harder than anyone else could have ever done.”

You don’t know if your words make any real difference but you are glad to have spoken your truth. While Andy and the three guys exchanged some short comments, you began to struggle to keep your eyes open as the realm of sleep tried to drag you back under. The Scythian cooed something in your ear, bringing you closer to her, and you quickly gave in.

                                                  -----------------------

Things had finally settled down as you slept soundly in Andy’s arms, a warm smile graced her face as she thoughtlessly stroked your hair. None of the guys had ever expected to see her as domestic as she looked while watching over you.

“Was I the only one that was hesitant about her at first?” Booker asked, although it was more likely he was simply thinking out loud. “I mean about her being one of us despite not being a fighter in a traditional sense?”

“I was worried too,” Joe admitted as he intertwined his fingers with Nicky’s. “I feel terrible about it now since it’s clear how much we need her in the group.”

Andy, only half paying attention to the conversation up until that point, curiously weighed the words Joe subtly tried to direct at her.

“Just don’t make her wait too long to tell her how you feel,” Joe smiled, bringing up the back of Nicky’s hand to his mouth so he could kiss it. His eyes knowingly sparkled at Andy the entire time. “I have no doubt she’s the type that’s quite perceptive until it comes to someone else having feelings for her.”

“I believe Andy should simply follow her heart. As should Y/N,” Booker chimes in. “They’ll come together at the right time if it’s meant to be.”

“That’s a rather romantic way of looking at it!” Nicky was thoroughly impressed.

Booker simply shrugged. “I may not get as much practice as you and Joe but I’d like to think I’m not as rusty as this one over here.”

All three of them turned to look at Andy as their leader tried to remain still and unbothered. She did have to admit that it was difficult for her to get angry when you were resting against her.

“Are you actually calling me old, Book?” There was an edge of warning in her voice without any actual concrete threat. She was more than aware of how long it had been since she’d had feelings for someone and it was somewhat intimidating to face. Nothing had been confessed and yet she was already terrified of losing you.

“Of course I don’t mean it like that, capitaine. But I agree with Joe. Sweet and subtle will most likely fly straight over her head.”

“Not really all that straight.” Nicky murmured under his breath before chuckling at his own joke.

“Still, you should do whatever you feel is right,” Booker continued but shot the Italian a quick glance. “Don’t do something because you think Joe, or Nicky, or even I might do it in your position. She already likes you so all you have to do is be yourself.”

It was more than just a little cliche. She hated how oftentimes the best advice usually was.

“If I say I won’t wait more than a hundred years then could we please end this discussion? She’s finally sleeping, no thanks to your conversation, and I’d like for her to get as much rest as possible.”

None of them looked fully satisfied with her answer but they could all at least agree that it was best to let you sleep.

“Whatever you say, boss.”

“Good night.”

“Sweet dreams.”

The lights were turned off and Andy carefully tried to settle down with you. She planned to stay awake, to make sure that you were properly guarded and could sleep peacefully. But the steady sounds of your breathing and beating of your heart eventually lulled her to sleep as well.

                                                 -----------------------

“Good morning.” You gradually opened your eyes to the sight of Andy sitting up next to you in bed. The smell of eggs wafted in the air from the next room over. “We let you sleep in for a little bit but didn’t want you to get a cold breakfast. The food should be ready soon. I trust you got some better sleep?”  

You nodded, sitting up and feeling a bit awkward that Andy was still in your bed. Had she been there the rest of the night? “Yeah, I had a nice dream actually. I was on a white sand beach that was surrounded by cliffs with all sorts of tropical flowers growing around them. Have you ever been to a place like that?” You purposefully left out the details regarding Andy kissing you as the sun set. That was one thing she didn’t need to know about.

“Yes,” she nodded as a pleasant memory appeared to pass through her mind. Still, there was also a speck of sadness that shone in her eyes. “There are some that perfectly match that description in Greece, Thailand, Brazil. I’ve visited my fair share and the views never disappoint. Add some good company and it makes the trip all the better.”

You wondered who she was thinking about; what memories they might have shared together.

“I’ve actually never seen the ocean,” you confessed. “My mother is terrified of the water because a boy she went to school with in her childhood drowned in a lake one summer. She forbade me from ever going near it, even though I’ve wanted to learn how to swim since I first learned about mermaids.”

“You would still want to go? After your nightmare and seeing what happened to Quynh you’re not feeling hesitant at all about the ocean?”

“No, I don’t think so,” you admitted and pondered at the question. “That was terrifying, don’t get me wrong, but there’s a good and bad side to everything, right? Besides, I don’t want fear to control me anymore. Not like how I was with my mother.”

Andy studied you with such intensity, giving you the perfect opportunity to get lost in her eyes once more. You knew that you could stare at her forever. But what could she possibly be thinking about while gazing at you so intently? You honestly had no clue and when you were so ordinary. The only thing you were certain of was that she looked at you like you meant something. And to mean something to her was the best feeling in the world.

She looked like she wanted to say something but ultimately decided against it.

Instead, she cleared her throat, bringing the both of you back to the moment. “Alright, it’s decided then. I’ll teach you how to swim then. It should really be a part of your training anyway and after you’ve got it down I’ll take you to the beach from your dream.”

She sounded completely serious yet it took you by surprise. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course. I promise it will have everything you imagine aside from mermaids.”

“Aw, I mean I understand but it’s still somewhat disappointing. I was really looking forward to being serenaded by a siren that may or may not try to kill me.”

The Scythian chuckled. “I can already tell you that you don’t want to hear me try to sing.”

You raised an eyebrow at that. “Actually, that only makes me more curious. After having 6,000 years to practice you cannot possibly be that bad!”

“I’m afraid I sound so bad that it makes all the dogs bark.”

“One day, I’ll get you to sing,” you shoot Andy a look showing that you’re nothing but serious. “You can’t say ‘no’ to me forever. You’ll cave in eventually, I promise.”

“Breakfast is ready!” You could hear Booker exclaim from the kitchen.

As you turned to leave and grab some food, you didn’t notice the soft pair of green eyes following you or how Andy couldn’t seem to move after hearing what you said. There had been nothing but truth to your words and she knew if you asked her to sing or throw herself off a mountain she would do either if it could make you happy.

[greyias]

I have made it through the pilot episode of my silly forgotten spy show from 2011! The yellow subtitles are super duper distracting, and sometimes cover up the actual subtitles when they start speaking in other languages. I persevere though! Beggars can't be choosers when it comes to nearly lost media.

Thoughts below the cut!

First up, apparently my memory lied to me right off the bat, and I had forgotten the show wasn't "four white guys", it was "three white guys" and the main character, Ricky Martinez, who is Puerto Rican. Whoops. My bad.

Okay first, since likely no one has seen this show, our cast:

Pictured: 4 wild and crazy guys, on a future adventure I've already forgotten

On the left, our main character, Ricky Martinez. The newbie. Again, the least white man here. A little baby. A sparkly eyed ingenue, who has always dreamed of being a spy.

Next up is Michael Dorset, played by Eric Close. He's the team leader! His personality is "dickishly controlling", I guess, but he somehow fades into the background in the pilot. But that's mostly because standing to the right of him...

...is Billy Collins, played by James Murray. My beloved, my baby boy, the inexplicably Scottish spy that works for the CIA(?). This is explained very quickly in that he used to be part of the British Secret Service, but then got deported (???) "on account of boyish mischief". To my recollection, this is the only explanation we ever get. He's just Scottish and he's there. Accept it.

And finally we have Casey Malick, aka "The Living Weapon". He's like if Elliot Spencer was extremely deadpan all the time. An average guy surrounded by supermodels for coworkers. He doesn't seem to mind.

Now that my oh-so descriptive introductions are out of the way. Onwards to the plot! After a very questionable historical narration of the CIA, it starts with our little fwesh faced, cherubic wannabe spy Ricky going to his first day at work! He's so excited to start his dream job, and I guess in this universe, if you get a job with the CIA you're actually allowed to tell your mommy, because she packed a lunch for him for his first big boy day at the office! (Who he apparently doesn't live with so did he make a pitstop on his way to work?). Unfortunately, the lovingly prepared Asopao De Pollo is quickly deemed a "suspicious liquid" and Ricky is detained as a suspected terrorist, because oopsie! The CIA accidentally merged their new hire list with the terrorist watchlist. AS YOU DO.

But that's all sorted out quickly enough, although I think lunch may have been ruined in the process, and our derring do protagonist marches onward to the office of the deputy director of the CIA to report for duty, only to be informed that he was laid off as of five minutes ago. WOMP WOMP. After giving a rousing speech about how obsessed he is with being a spy, the director, seeing the perfect patsy, basically assigns Ricky to be a tattletale on the team of troublemakers who are constantly irritating him.

So he immediately goes to meet/spy on his new coworkers, who introduce themselves to Ricky and the audience, and then when Ricky tries to bluff out his reason for being assigned to the team, SUDDENLY get called on a super duper urgent mission just a few blocks down (it's on American soil, but that's okay because they're rebelllllls), and they let Billy drive, which seems to be a mistake because he's either forgotten what side of the road to drive on, or thinks he's actually playing Grand Theft Auto. I started to try and count how many civilians he nearly plowed into as he literally DRIVES OVER SIDEWALKS and almost causes several accidents as they race to find... uh, I don't know. Somethingsomething plutonium. I should note, this isn't even ten minutes into the episode's runtime.

So the three senior spies chunk our poor fresh faced baby spy onto the road where he has to run down and climb into a moving vehicle to give an envelope to an operative who turns out to be Russian, and as understanding dawns on poor Ricky, he's thrown on his ass again into the street, where the little rascal senior spies pick him back up and are like "aw how sweet we got photos of that", because you know, spies. And blackmail. And the relentless hazing of the newbie begins.

Other things they do to this poor man in this episode alone include:

cockblocking him on a date (granted, it's a date with Michael, aka leader dude's ex wife)

trick him into making a toast with a drugged flask of whiskey

glue an earpiece to his eardrum(???)

send his unconscious form on a horse so he'll get kidnapped by the villains of the week (for reasons)

decide to wake him up by nearly shattering his eardrum with the sound of bagpipes

at the end of the episode they cockblock him again by waiting for him in the dark in his own house, just because

Anyway, plot of the week is rescuing a journalist who's been captured by... *heavy sigh* Sudanese rebels. Because while this wasn't made closer to 2001 post-9/11 reactionary, it's still, you know, close enough that we're still in that era of television. So they all commit a little grand larceny (although is it grand larceny if the money you "acquire" for a hostage exchange is counterfeit?), Ricky has to go get his vaccines, somewhere in this Billy actually tries to be friendly to him and give him advise, Ricky causally proposes bombing some potato farmers because the deputy director is trying to teach him about the viability of intel, and they have to fly coach, the HORROR, before we finally get to...

The Scene™.

The one scene that once I saw it again, made me vividly remember cringing as it aired back in 2011. Like, it wasn't great then, and it aged even more poorly... the scorpion scene. It's... it's... yeahhhhhh... I have a vague memory they didn't lean too heavily into the racist stereotyping later in the series, unless my memory just completely blanked all of that out. But yeah... it's not great. And CBS was like. SUPER proud of this scene. In all of the promotional trailers and lead up to the pilot airing, they include the 🦂 incident in a lot of them.

🦂 🦂 🦂 ANYWAY. Let's move on from that 🦂 🦂 🦂

Anyway, then the drugging incident above happens, which was done so Deputy Director who just won't spend any $$$ to authorize rescuing non-Americans needs a bonafide American in danger to send in the helicopters. Also there's like, at least a dozen rando hostages just to up the ante I guess. After being rudely woken up by bagpipes (courtesy of our resident inexplicable Scot, of course), the cavalry arrives! And Ricky gets super tazed in the process, because he didn't have enough going wrong in his life. Anyway they rescue the hostages, Ricky decides he wants to be part of this group of charming rascals and joins the team officially.

Thirteen years later, and writing all of that out, I truly question his sanity.

So how does the pilot hold up? Well, ahem, certain scenes aside... it's not so bad? I mean, all of the above does sound chaotic as fuck, but I mean, when you literally name your show CHAOS, I guess there's a little of that to be expected. And by the end of the episode, Billy at least starts to feel a little bad for them being unrelenting assholes to poor Ricky. Maybe this was why he was my favorite character back in the day (I mean, other than the fact that he's played by James Murray).

And now... onto the ratings!

Rating*: 🍸🍸🍸/5 Shaken Martinis. I subtracted an entire two points for the gd scorpion scene. CBS was way too proud of that in their marketing for this show.

* - I'm grading this show on a curve, considering it's been so neglected.

Idiot Spy Boyfriend Award: Since we have four lovely hunky spies to choose from, each episode I will give the following award to whoever acts the most like Theron Shan this time around. A completely bewildering metric for anyone who has not played SWTOR, but this is my blog and I make the rules. Today's winner is, of course, Billy, for needlessly playing GTA5 in traffic, nearly committing vehicular manslaughter about 15 times before I lost count, and also just… having a sound file of Scottish bagpipes at the ready???? Ricky, you do not get it for the 🦂, because that scene doesn't deserve to be rewarded. Try better next time.

Will there be a next time? I have no idea. I'm already wanting to rewatch the second episode, but we'll see if I have the spoons to do any more recapping.

[mejomonster]

okay so FINALLY i finished season 2 of Black Sails last night, and I’m in season 3 now. anyway:

When Miranda says what she does to Ashe? She is so right. So beyond right. Her rage is so present. Her rage drove this story. Her grief. She loved Thomas, James loved Thomas, and they are in agony that their friend Peter betrayed their beloved Thomas. Peter got Thomas killed. Yes, Peter Ashe is also why they ultimately left for this place, and left their old lives, but the most painful thing is that Thomas died. They lost HIM. The person they loved most. Both the beloved man, and the idealistic hero who was the one who WANTED this dream of a self governing Nassau and pardoned pirates. They’ve been trying to fulfill his dream since, and Peter apparently is why Thomas is not alive to be the leader in this. (Who should be governor, Peter asks? It’s awful, Thomas should be. Thomas is dead. And it’s your fault.) And its SUCH a painful situation because James wanted to make this deal work more than anything in the world, even if he had to do the thing he wanted to do LEAST in the world like Peter suggested... he might have. But the line James and Miranda cannot cross? Forgiving who killed their beloved. It’s a phenomenal character study, its walking these characters to the extent they can stretch and then showing here, right here, is where they can’t go. They would no longer be Them if they agreed, they could only ever fail this task. Peter could only ever fail them, James could never get the reasonable meeting he wanted (as we see in a moment), and Miranda could never let go of her grief and give up revenge if presented with the ultimate perpetrator of that loss.

Miranda’s speech to him is my favorite in the whole series so far. It was terrifying finding out the clock used to be hers, be Thomas’s, in their home. She’s a ticking time bomb from the moment the clock is in the scenes. The writing too, the foreshadowing where she’s told not to get closer to Ashe or she’ll be killed, told she’s seen as a dangerous threat (and she is a dangerous threat). The absolute pain, in the difference between Ashe asking to talk to them alone at dinner and THEM ASSUMING safety. Them assuming a SAFE conversation, an honest conversation, all respected as people. When in the end Miranda and James were never seen as people by Ashe’s men, by Ashe never seen as equals. Just casualties to Ashe’s path, just like Thomas. And Miranda’s speech. She deserved to say it. It was frightening, and heavy, and I wanted her wish to come true. As awful as her wish was, it was all her pain let out at the person left who caused it. It showed WHY she came with James, what she’s contemplated in these yeats, why she feels so different from her old life Just Like James. And unlike James McGraw, now James Flint to temporarily retreat within... she is still Miranda. She is Miss Barlow, and maybe its an identity to become too, but its not something temporary like James thought the Flint persona could be. She IS this person she’s become, she can’t separate it, and we finally see that toward people she doesn’t love. She’s kind to kind people (I loved Abigail’s entire portion of narration by the way), she understands James and he understands her, and she’s hurt and hurting the civilization, casting out that civilization, that failed her by destroying her loved one.

Her death hurts. It hurt me more than any of the others. 

I get why it happens. 

I also think this episode really reminded me WHY I loved her so. Why I love James and Miranda as a team. How this show really does have 2 very lovely polyamorous trios at its heart. James and Miranda ARE best friends, family, and they look to each other and check in emotionally. Support each other emotionally. Speak honestly with each other. Feel safe with each other. They truly are partners and close. They’re like Jack Rackham and Bonny, except i’d argue at this stage in their lives a little more mature than the former two and better at communicating. (Perhaps they’re an indication of what Jack, Bonny, and Max can become as they grow closer and more honest?). My point is... they truly love each other. When Flint says later, in season 3 “They took my woman. My friend.” that cuts deep. Miranda was the woman he cared about, the woman that was HIS family, not in the sense of lovers or wife or what have you, but in this world if a man’s responsible for women then she was the one in his life he felt responsible to: to keep in contact, to support emotionally, to listen to and understand, to share in the journey of life in, to understand each others pain, to take this path of revenge and hope in. She was HIS Partner (again the parallel to Jack and Bonny partners till they’re dead). She was HIS FRIEND. His dearest, closest, most understood friend. I see now that this is why Miranda wanted to kill Peter Ashe. Thomas was that dearest friend to her. How could one forgive the murderer of such a dearly beloved friend? How. 

And now that Miranda is gone? How could James Flint, James McGraw, forgive the civilization and system that killer HER. Not him, the pirate who sinned and knew what he was throwing away and risking. But her. The civilian who had not killed, who was even weighing the option of peace with the country that killed her dear friend Thomas and was willing to lay down her hatred in the sand if it meant realizing Thomas’s dream? They killed her. After that? If I lost my dearest friend, who understood me and went through all of that with me, who had done nothing while I had committed all sins in the civilization’s rules? I’d be beyond broken.

Thomas didn’t deserve to die. He was good. And planning to Do Good things for the world. Miranda was understandably pained by losing him. And then for her to be lost too? A good woman, a woman James wanted to survive, knew Thomas would want to survive, a woman James took the sins of on himself and did himself so that Miranda might not be driven to on her own. And she still dies. Well, where does that leave James. How can James ever surrender to an evil that’s taken away from the world these two people?

The depth of those three’s relationship. 

So Miranda, in her speech, says she wants Charlestown destroyed. Peter Ashe dead, and she wants to do it herself. And this episode, this writing, its the kind of show you know if someone says something it WILL pay off later. Ashe’s guard said he’d kill them if they got closer to Ashe, and that happens as stated. You know once he says it that James and Miranda are in danger in the plot and will likely cross that line and be under threat. Miranda says her speech? And you know Charlestown will be destroyed. Somehow.

That was probably my favorite pay off so far. Flint saying if you want me to be your monster, then I will be it. Then destroying charlestown. Just like Miranda wanted. Making Peter Ashe, as he’s dying, look at Miranda’s body. The death Peter caused, the second death of another person James considered good in this world and so precious. And telling Peter that Miranda gets the last word here. She was killed saying she wanted this, killed because of Peter’s men and Peter’s actions and only here over the ocean cause of a stream of things Peter had done. And she will get this, in death, because it’s what she said. Killing her won’t escape the fate she wanted Peter to suffer. He will MEET what Miranda wanted brought upon him. I think it was the best send off Miranda could want. When Peter asks “think of what Miranda would’ve wanted” and so James gives the world Exactly what she said she wanted.

Miranda was one of my favorite characters, especially on rewatches of the parts of season 1 and 2 I did. My heart aches she’s gone. Her being gone makes me understand how her and James must’ve felt when Thomas was gone, in a way I didn’t really get before. I loved Miranda.

Unrelated. The buildup of the crew trusting Silver, Silver oddly noticing he’s begun to do things to save THE CREW over himself, him losing his leg to save his crew, his crew saving his life in return for it and all being there to support him and treat him, them voting for him as their Quartermaster, those sequences all played out so well. The writing of this show is so satisfying if you like payoff. Characters and writing point to the direction they’re headed, and you can trust it, and the joy is in seeing how they get to that direction they’re now sailing towards.

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

I’ve seen you post a lot about Titans, and I was wondering if you could give a premise of the plot. I need new found family stuff to watch. 😂

Thanks! 🌻

Okay I'll try my best with the summary hahaha just a few fun facts before I get to it: this was my #1 show for the past 4 years, until tlou rolled around, we are on our last stretch of episodes before saying goodbye (my heart is broken) and a word of warning: if you get into it, you will love it as much as you will hate it. This stupid beloved show of mine can be a real pain in the ass sometimes 😂

Okay, time for a summary. Or, in other words, let me paint you a picture of this found family without giving away any plot 😂

So at the beginning we have these four lovely people who all find each other just when they need it the most when their lives are at their lowest. They are DC superheroes (some on their way to becoming them) but the most important thing the show had always put focus on (more or less sometimes but we lived through it) is that team is family. The team grows over time and they learn how to be a team and fight evil together and all that but these four are the core of it.

So, on the left you have the kids: Gar Logan and Rachel Roth. If you're familiar with DC Comics in any capacity, you might know them as Beast Boy and Raven. Gar can shift into animals and Rachel is a daughter of a demon. Fun times with these two!

Then we have the parents: Dick Grayson and Kory Anders. Known as Robin, then Nightwing and Starfire.

Dick is a master detective with some sick martial art skills (trained by Batman himself) and Kory is an alien powerhouse Queen!

Leaders of the team. Heads of the family. Father and Mother who will do absolutely everything to protect their children.

They also have an epic love story going on, just so you know. Season 4 is really taking them places.

Now, when I started this show, I came here for some superhero fun. But I stayed because the pilot episode served me one of the best father-daughter duos I have ever seen. Think of Joel and Ellie's "if you're lost in the darkness, search for the light" but here it's almost LITERAL sometimes. Dick has metaphorical darkness in him and Rachel is the one who brings out the light for the first time. But Rachel has the literal darkness in her and Dick is the first person in her life who isn't afraid of it and helps her accept it as a part of her.

She has a dream about him before they even meet and when they do, she immediately knows. And he's scared shitless of this new attachment, he's dark, violent, has issues and he can't do family but here is this orphaned girl who knows things about him that she shouldn't and hell if his heart isn't beating a little faster.

This scene here, it has a grip on my throat since 2019 and isn't planning to let go. This is where it all begins.

As for the plot, each season is a different thing. Season 1 is protecting Rachel from her father, season 2 is trying to settle down as a team but ghosts of the past are making it difficult, season 3 is about sibling rivalry and how that can fuck up a family and a bit of generational trauma, and season 4 is all over the place with a giant prophecy, some big and small returns, magic and shit, but season 4 is when the family is finally the strongest!

I hope you enjoy it! You can find it on HBO MAX in the US and on Netflix everywhere else (though international Netflix is one season behind). If you get to watching it, I'd love to here your thoughts!

Come join us in Titansland! Let me welcome you to the Graysonfam!

[professorcocoa]

Hello there rotumblr, the name is Cocoa and Pie, the butterfree is my beloved partner.

I live in Azalea, on the Johto region, and I'm aspiring to become a pokemon professor.

I still don't know what exactly I'm going to study, but it doesn't matter, I'll just research everything.

It's a pleasure to meet you all.

//ooc: hello everyone, the name is Willow. I'm a 19 year old nb who just loves pokemon a little bit too much

here's the list of my pokerp blogs just cause

@pokemonprofessorintraining - me in the pokemon world

@ecruteakfashiondesigner - my oc that's based on my ex bf and my dream bf at the same time

@trio-of-chaos - a little joke that went too far, now a trio of dumbasses

@katcriollo - Cocoa's long lost sister

@mazes-and-puzzles - Maizie (canon character)

@spinarak-bite - Spinarak Man

@eggs-are-my-passion - Professor Elm (canon character)

@papercutt - Paper Cut Anon, aka another joke

@koko-tapu @lele-tapu @bulu-tapu @fini-tapu - The tapus

@sleepy-mot - Dudunsparce eeby deeby

@slakingthatslays - Slaking eeby deeby who is also a drag queen

@sleepingtight - Cresselia from the same world as Amy

@w1llowo - me again, but this time as a literal faller. Like, they're literally me!!

Their pokemon:

Pie, Butterfree, Female

Sponge, Slowking, Male

Opera, Shiny Crobat, Male

Sirius, Larvesta, Female

Pillow, Geodude (as smooth as a bowling ball), Male

Flint, Duraludon(an extremely tiny one, 6 cm/2.4 inches in height), Female

Cleopatra, Female, Trapinch

Team Menace

Krabbies (3), Females, Romana, Marinara and Carbonara

Krabbies (2), Males, Pizza and Pasta

Marguerita, Female, Kingler

Salsa, Male, Kingler (Team Menace Leader)

[f1gure-skater]

Keefitz Brocedes KOTLCxF1 au

So, the goal was reached so I suppose I should stick to my promise :)

Details under the cut because it's going to be looooooong

Keefe: Is the Nico Rosberg of the au -> Keefe was born into a well off family, his dad was a former World Drivers Champion and his mom married his dad because of the championship win (clout, think Kelly Piquet). His dad (Cassius obviously) set him up to be an F1 driver from a young age to fulfill the Sencen family 'legacy' of also becoming a WDC. Keefe hates Cassius (why wouldn't he?) and doesn't want to fulfill the legacy, but rather wants to win a WDC for himself with a different team from the one his father wants him to join (will be figured out later).

Fitz: Is the Lewis Hamilton of the au -> we're changing it here so Fitz is also well off, but from a much more loving family than Keefe's (also has a better support system). He's the first racer in his family and grew up watching F1 races at home. He has a natural talent in the kart and everyone tells him that one day he can become a WDC (which is his dream).

Sophie: Is kind of like the Sebastien Vettel of the au -> Sophie is one of the most beloved drivers on the grid and wins multiple championships with Red Bull Racing. She's friends with both Keefe and Fitz. When Fitz and Keefe have their falling out Sophie's always the mediator between them (mostly in the cooldown room post race like Seb was). Similar to how Nico would talk to Seb in German in the cooldown rooms to exclude Lewis, Fitz does the same with Sophie (which kind of reflects the telepathic cognate conversations they have.

Tam: Similar to Kimi Raikonnen in this au -> Tam is a really skilled driver and was WDC in Keefe's Rookie year and actually beat Keefe out for WDC by one point. He has a more relaxed attitude towards racing and it isn't exactly life or death for him. He cares more about Linh than anything.

Dex: Keefe's race engineer -> Dex used to Go-Kart when he was younger and actually showed quite a bit of promise. He had great skills on track and did most of the tweaks on his Kart himself off track. Unfortunately, his family couldn't afford to continue his racing career so he had to stop. His dream of being WDC now out of reach. Despite this, he was still a huge fan of F1 and studied the sport intensly. His knowledge, and connection to Keefe from childhood landed him a job as Keefe's race engineer when Keefe started racing in the formula's. He's got beef with Fitz because of stuff that happened on track when they were younger but he's pretty chill with Keefe and they goof off with each other between races.

Prentice: The Michael Schumacher -> An absolute LEGEND on the track and was Sophie's hero growing up. Mentored her a bit on the side when she came into F1 and was a bit like a father figure to her. Had a racing accident that landed him in a coma though...

Wylie: The Mick Schumacher -> Do you see where I'm going with this?

Linh: The Jenson Button -> Won a WDC before moving to McLaren where Fitz was. They had a pretty healthy team mate rivalry with both of them pushing each other to be better. Started commentating after retiring from the sport and cheers Fitz on from the commentating box as a supportive friend.

Marella: F1 Journalist -> Marella loved watching F1 as a child but her parents could never afford to put her into racing. She was a part of the school newspaper when she was younger given her knack for finding gossip which led her to pursuing a job in sports journalism. Specifically for F1. She's now a trusted journalist and NO. She isn't at ALL interested in a certain F1 driver whose name starts with an F.

Forkle: The Toto Wolff a.k.a Mercedes team leader -> Why did I choose Forkle to take on the Toto role? They both make crappy decisions lol. Anyways, Forkle just wants these two super talented drivers he has on his team to get along like how they did before.

Elwin: The Niki Lauda -> Loves these two boys that are on his team. But if they could stop fighting on track and damaging their cars he'd love them even more. (R.I.P. Niki Lauda)

Tiergan: The Fernando Alonso -> Rookie of the year for 18 seasons, had some beef with Fitz after Fitz beat him to the Championship by one point but has now warmed up to him. (let's just hope he doesn't get another villain arc).

Jensi: The Daniel Ricciardo -> We love him, he's fun and up beat. Brings tons of pr for the team he's on. Hasn't won a WDC (yet he's looking towards the future optimistically). Went through a rough spot but he's continuing to persevere. Doesn't have as much raw talent as Sophie, Keefe, or Fitz, but Sophie says he doesn't need to have natural talent because hard work achieves more.

Stina: F1 Sports Analyst -> Her dad was a pay driver (meaning that the team he was on signed him because he brought tons of sponsors, didn't mean he was that good though...) and wanted her to drive in F1. She never really got into the actual racing aspect but she loved analysing the races. Has some kind of beef with Sophie but it's not like she's being biased in her analysis'. She's critical but fans love her for that because she never sugar coats things.

Biana: PR manager -> Fitz's PR manager and has basically been one of his biggest supporters since they were children. Used to race when she was younger and many thought she would go to F1 but she instead chose to get a full education instead of pursuing a career in racing. After finishing school though, she made a return to the paddock but this time as her brothers PR manager (and just his manager in general because as she says "someone has to keep him in check")

And that's all I have for now!

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #293: AND FLIGHTS OF ANGELS...

July, 1988

THE FATE OF MARRINA!

Wait, hold up... the fate of Marrina tm? Flights of angels...? Isn’t that usually followed by sing thee to thy rest?

Yup. Yuuup. Marrina is going to die.

Shame. Shaaaame.

She seemed like she had potential as an Avenger. How long has it been since we had a married couple on the Avengers? ... Oh, when Vision and Scarlet Witch were on the team. Still, though!

But I might be jumping the gun.

Last times on Avengers: the Avengers are having a tough time lately. Because this is the character assassination era. Captain Marvel Monica Rambeau is a weak and ineffectual leader who wants to do things like... not kill Marrina. Dr Druid very much wants to kill Marrina as a first and only option and is actively undermining Monica and having ominous sex dreams. Marrina turned into a giant sea monster for some reason and has been sinking ships and destroying coastal settlements. Namor is sad because his wife doesn’t seem to love him anymore and also is a giant world-threatening monster.

Tough times.

You know who else is having tough times?

Atlantis.

Marrina is smashing them UP!

Which is pretty fascinating! It implies there’s still some of Marrina within her because no doubt she’d harbor some resentment for Atlantis giving her beloved husband the boot and elevating one of his worst enemies to the throne.

Maybe we can ignore the blatant foreshadowing and snap Marrina out of-

Oh.

This doesn’t imply anything. Dr Druid caused this, for some reason.

Ffs.

I’ll get to that when it’s relevant in the plot.

Meanwhile, Simonson gets to put on his Literature Hat by quoting Milton’s Paradise Lost regarding the biblical Leviathan which has little to do with Marrina except being a big aquatic troublemaker.

Namor shows up after Marrina has already gotten bored and wandered off and is distraught to see that Marrina is now killing people that he cares about.

Okay, not really.

But considering its her attack on Atlantis that makes Namor go rejoin the Avengers, it really does feel kind of like all that other damage and other death she’s caused bothered him significantly less.

Over at Hydrobase, Dr Drui psychically spies on Namor, satisfied that his manipulations have paid off.

He also swoons so that he can flashback to something that happened recently but that the audience doesn’t know about.

Very considerate!

Dr Druid: “Apparently only I have the will to save all who can be saved. I pray this will give me the strength to do what must be done!”

Fuck you Dr Druid Point 1: Dr Druid can use “controlled clairvoyance to find Leviathan Marrina so all that time the Avengers couldn’t find her fast enough to prevent damage, Druid was just holding out on them.

Dr Druid: “So, my terrible friend, let us see what we can do to convince the others that you are indeed a menace that must be dealt with properly!”

Fuck you Dr Druid Point 2: He lured Marrina to attack and destroy Atlantis by creating an illusion of a nice, juicy boat and since sea serpents are dumb, he just had the boat head down towards Atlantis.

Fuck you Dr Druid Point 1+2=3: Given that he can find Marrina with “controlled clairvoyance” and lure Marrina with illusion boats, he could have been finding and diverting her and saving lives this whole time. Granted, the effort seems to exhaust him. So maybe he couldn’t have kept it up for long. But he’s refusing to help to his fullest abilities and then criticizing Monica for not being interested in saving lives.

You, sir, Dr Druid, are the menace that must be dealt with properly.

Grump grump.

Anyway.

Dr Druid feels bad about being an evil shithead but comforts himself that he’s saving lives by luring Marrina to kill a bunch of Atlanteans and convincing Namor to rejoin the Avengers so Druid can convince the other Avengers that killing Marrina as their first option is the best and only option.

Dr Druid: “She is too dangerous to be allowed to roam the seas at will... while Captain Marvel wastes time and lives seeking vainly for some illusory cure for Marrina’s condition. But there is no time to waste in that direction. For I have had such dreams that foretell of grave danger in the near future... and Marrina could be just the beginning. Yet how could I convince my fellow Avengers of a threat heralded by dreams? Best to keep my own counsel... and deflect the Avengers from Captain Marvel’s useless endeavors...”

And he finds She-Hulk, Thor, and Captain Marvel talking to Dr Pym on the video phone.

Pym isn’t promising any miracles because the information they sent over was fragmentary. But he used his science brain and scienced up a possible cure. A shot in the dark really. A shot in the dark in the form several hypodermic harpoon needles that will inject Marrina with viral recombinant DNA suppressor. Which MIGHT revert her back to her previous form.

Dr Pym also warns the Avengers to obviously not stick themselves with the harpoon needles because that’d be dumb.

Can’t tell if this is a chekov’s gun or just added detail.

Like that super special dart gun in Lost World Jurassic Park that would kill a dude in less than a second if they accidentally stuck themselves with it. But then the gun never got used at all.

Anyway, Black Knight says it’ll take him a couple hours to make some bazookas to shoot these harpoon needles.

He still sees the problem that Namor will get in the way. But Namor shows up to say he’ll definitely not get in the way!

Namor: “A true monach, Dane, will sacrifice anything, even his own happiness, for the good of the subjects he rules. That is his sacred trust. And though I am no longer a monarch, am I not a guardian of Earth and its mortal inhabitants? Is my trust not as sacred?”

Thor: “Well spoken, Prince Namor. I do not bid thee welcome, for what glad greeting can cloak the grim task that confronts us -- a kinslaying. But I speak as one Avenger to another... thy sacred trust in this hour of trial is gratefully received. No other warrior would I as lief have at my side.”

Frens. Or allies. Avengers. Whatever.

Namor sweetens the rejoining deal. Not only will he be more of a help than a hindrance, he’ll also show the Avengers where Leviathan Marrina is keeping all the ships she sinks.

And he does.

The Avengers get in their QUINJET and fly to the random part of the ocean that Namor tells them.

They don’t see Marrina which could mean she’s out looking for more ships.

Thor suggests they start searching.

Dr Druid says he’ll try a clairvoyant trace. WHICH WE ALREADY KNOW HE CAN USE TO FIND HER. HE DOESN’T FIND HER HERE. THE WORST.

Black Knight cobbled together a sonar pod to scan the oceans.

And Captain Marvel nyooms out in her lightform to zoom all around the world searching the oceans.

THEY STILL DON’T FIND ANYTHING FOR HOURS.

When they eventually find her its because there’s a static patch on their scanners, since Leviathan Marrina can, for some reason, jam signals.

When the Avengers find her, she’s sinking another ship. They arrive too late to save the ship and I guess there’s no survivors in the water because they jump right to trying to harpoon dart Marrina.

The first harpoon needle shatters against her armored scales.

She-Hulk reloads the bazooka and Black Knight figures that maybe her underbelly will be more penetrable. But Leviathan Marrina twists at the last moment and the second harpoon shatters against her armored head.

Thor jumps out of the Quinjet too and starts Mjolniring Marrina in the face, trying to distract her so Black Knight can get a good shot.

Thor: “HAVE AT THEE, CREATURE OF THE DEPTHS! The Avengers shall endeavor to save thee in spite of thyself!”

Black Knight takes aim at the stunned Leviathan Marrina’s underbelly... and no luck!

Her soft underbelly is still too armored.

And now there’s only one harpoon needle left...

Leviathan Marrina rises up to try to eat the people that keep shooting at her and She-Hulk has a sudden good idea.

She-Hulk: “That’s it! Her mouth! Aim for her mouth, Dane! No armor!”

With the very last shot, Black Knight shoots Marrina in the tonsils (ouch) with the cure.

AND IT WORKS!

God only knows where her swimsuit came from when she turned back into her normal self. But she’s back to normal!

Good times are here again.

Marrina: “Oh, my love. Is this another fevered illusion... or have my fondest dreams come true?”

Namor: “Fear not, my heart. You’re safe now, I promise. And here is my kiss upon it.”

Aw, that’s nice.

Now we scene change to the Kang subplot that’s happening for some reason and I’m sure everyone is excited about.

Remember? The one with Kang-123488.23497?

That guy! That specific Kang! Also, a billion other Kangs. Too many Kangs.

Beard Kang says that its rare for Kangs to survive a council war which means that despite the point of the original Council of Kangs to be a trap to kill all Kangs but Cape Kang, there’s so many infinite Kangs that there are multiple council wars of which Kang-123488.23497 is just the latest (whatever that means in terms of a group that transcends time) survivor to be scouted to join the Council of Cross-Time Kangs.

Which is like a Council of Kangs but probably less of a trap to secretly murder its members.

Since Kang-123488.23497 or Kang has survived a council war and also killed a little baby assassin Kang, he has proven he has the stuff to join the Council of Cross-Time Kangs.

And since its a join or die situation, Kang joins.

The lady Kang is apparently Nebula Kang and she is told to escort Kang to his new quarters.

OH HI NEBULA!

(Except it isn’t really.)

(Retcon alert: it will later turn out that this Nebula is actually Ravonna, spying on the Council of Cross-Time Kangs for Immortus or something. Which does follow up on that plot thread. But at the expense of following up on the Nebula plot thread. Nebula was transported by the Beyonder to somewhere away due to Firelord’s careless words. Starfox left the Avengers to go look for her while the team went back to Earth. Wouldn’t it make this stupid new infinite Kang pile more relevant to the team if it was Nebula? This is where she wound up after the Beyonder yeeted her? And because her plot thread was never tied off, she’s back and causing trouble for the Avengers? Spoiler alert: Nebula Kang will cause trouble for the Avengers.)

OH HI NEBULA! SO THIS IS WHERE YOU’VE BEEN

Kang is confused that Nebula Kang is called Nebula so she explains that since everyone is a Kang, they choose individual names to avoid confusion.

Kang-123488.23497 decides he’s going to be Fred. Fred the Kang. Fred Kang.

As in Flintstone.

Such a choice.

Nebula Kang also tells Fred Kang that her quarters are just down the hall from his. And flirtatiously suggests he come visit her sometime so she can whisper sweet lore dumps in his ear.

I don’t know if Kangs fucking Kangs is weird or not. Nebula Kang, whether Ravonna or Nebula, isn’t Kang. So its fair game for her. But they all dress alike so its a bit narcissistic, isn’t it?

Anyway, the lore dump she wants to sweetly whisper to him is about “the deadliest weapon in the omniverse” and how the Council of Cross-Time Kangs is all about finding it.

Well, that answers my question of what the hell this organization even does.

After she returns to her quarters, Nebula Kang says there are depths to Fred that she’ll enjoy plumbing.

God, Nebula. Stop being horny.

But she sits in a comfy looking chair and puts on what looks like an airplane neck pillows so she can check on her “catspaw.”

Nebula Kang: “Becoming a member of the Kang Korps was the wisest move of my career. And seducing the future leader of the Avengers will be the second!”

AND SHE TAKES ON THE FORM OF THE SEXY OMINOUS LADY FROM DR DRUID’S OMINOUS SEX DREAMS!

GOD DAMMIT DR DRUID, YOU’RE LETTING NEBULA MANIPULATE YOU! STOP THINKING WITH YOUR DICK, YOU DICK!

Anyway.

Back at the plot, the Avengers fly Marrina toward a hospital. Namor refuses to let anyone else hold her because he’s a romantic like that.

But suddenly everything goes wrong because we’re not allowed nice things in editorial mandate land.

Marrina: “I’m cold. So cold. I feel as though a hand of ice clutches at my heart and freezes my blood!”

Namor tries to warm her up with kisses but observes that her lips are like ice.

And suddenly she freaks out, begging Namor for help while also thrashing and clawing at him.

The cure didn’t. She’s reverting to the bestial form that preceded the leviathan. And shortly after, reverting to the leviathan.

Her thrashing causes Namor to crash into the ocean.

Thor tells Namor to kill Marrina before she can become big huge large again but Namor hesitates and she becomes big huge large.

Where the fuck did the mass for that come from?

Whatever. This is the Marvel universe where Hank Pym makes conservation of mass weep like a tiny child.

Actually... Speaking of that... hey this is a dramatic moment and all... its very sad that Hank Pym’s shot in the dark cure didn’t work... Why didn’t he just send the Avengers an assload of Pym Particles?

They shrink Marrina, put her in a little terrarium, and then study her and try to cure her from a more informed point?

Dammit, Hank!

You’ll shrink Tigra later and put her in a cat carrier but you won’t shrink Marrina? Playing favorites!

Anyway, not only does Marrina grow back up to a big ol’ Leviathan, she grows bigger than she was before.

Makes no sense but sometimes writers have to force the ending they want.

See, this isn’t the same level of threat the Avengers were already dealing with. It’s an indeterminate but larger level of threat.

Thor even says that if Marrina keeps getting bigger, she may endanger THE ENTIRE EARTH! As opposed to just shipping and coastal communities.

Thor and Captain Marvel decide to unleash electricity on Marrina, hoping to electrocute her before she finishes transforming.

For some reason, Monica decides this is the time to comment that she doesn’t know if she reaaaaally believes Thor is the reeeeal Norse god of thunder. But whatever, it’s not a relevant line of thought to this situation.

Thor summons lightning with Mjolnir and Captain Marvel turns herself into electrical energy and both slam into Leviathan Marrina with a KRAKKATHOOOUM!

Ah, Simonson. If nothing else, always good with lightning noises.

Anyway, its not going to be clear until next issue but this is the end of Monica Rambeau's stint as Avengers chairwoman.

She accidentally fucked up electrifying this giant sea monster, dissipated too much of her energy, and winds up de-powered and nearly dead.

This is the character assassination era. Even in this moment, she can’t be allowed a heroic sacrifice. It has to be another colossal boneheaded Monica Rambeau pratfall.

Sigh.

We’ll get to that with issue #294.

For right now, Captain Marvel is an afterthought, lost in the confusion of everything else going on.

The massive electrocution (which remember, cost Monica her powers accidentally) does not stop Leviathan Marrina. Hell, its not even said that it significantly inconvenienced her.

So Black Knight decides that despite the curse of bad shit if it tastes blood, he must use his extremely cursed cut anything sword to kill Leviathan Marrina.

Namor stops him. Because This Is Something He Has To Do Himself.

But the thing is. Black Knight did decide to risk the effects of the curse to save the world. I’m contrasting it with Monica losing her powers because of a fuck-up.

I’m so grumpy right now.

Sigh sigh sigh.

Namor: “Marrina, my beloved. Hear me, wherever you may be. That which I swore to guard has been taken from us both... And only death now can free your soul from within this living prison! RISE LEVIATHAN! Rise up, and meet your nemesis! FOR MY BELOVED! FOR MARRINA!”

Also, Black Knight freaks out yelling about blood.

Huh. I knew there was a curse on the Ebony Blade that would activate if it ever tasted blood and that’s why Dane tended to just whack people with it.

But I don’t know if he’s ever said what the curse would do, exactly.

For starters, it seems to knock him the fuck out. And his Atomic Steed nearly plummets into the ocean before Thor catches him.

Thor comments that if the curse has really activated, he might be better off dead. So Thor apparently knows what it does.

Dangit, leaving the audience in the dark.

Leviathan Marrina isn’t quite dead because she’s quite big and takes quite a while to die.

She swims to the bottom of the ocean to where she piled all her sunken ships to die among her prizes... and her eggs.

‘TWAS A NEST!

There’s three eggs. Which hatch and the babies zoom off into the ocean depths.

One of the Avengers (it’s unclear because they’re speaking from off-panel) wonders who the father was and another Avenger says they may never know.

But judging by that one hatchling, I’d say that the father was most likely Black Panther.

No wonder Namor is so pissed off at the guy later on.

Marrina shrinks down to her pre-monsterified form (where did the mass go??) and Namor cradles her dead, deceased corpse and swears to find her babies and “teach them of their mother’s spirit.”

Presumably her Alpha Flight and Avengers spirit and not the spirit of all the ship sinking.

He also swims off to build Marrina “a bier fit for a queen... where you will rest forever amidst the coral, the sea jade, and mother-of-pearl... the most precious jewel in all the sea.”

And Namor fucks off.

So I guess he’s not actually rejoining the team.

He’s going through a lot right now so it’s understandable.

With Marrina dead and Namor fucked off, the Avengers decide to go to a hospital for Black Knight when suddenly (as the end of issue cliffhanger) Dr Druid realizes Captain Marvel never came back from that lightning thing.

Great. So not only is her depowering presented (next issue) as something that was a fuckup and not an intentional sacrifice), also none of her friends even noticed she was gone. The dude that’s been constantly undermining her was the only one that noticed.

This issue fucking sucks.

I’ll complain more about Monica’s treatment when I get to next issue but Marrina gets the short end of the stick too!

Turned into a giant, world-threatening monster for reasons of -shrug, confused grunt- and her husband is forced to kill her. After they try all of one time to cure her.

She didn’t get to do a lot in Avengers but she was an established character over in Alpha Flight and she’s being killed off as part of a story to kick Monica off the team and presumably to make Namor sad.

Stern was apparently kicked off the book for pushing back against the character assassination era but I don’t know whether Marrina was always part of Gruenwald’s plan or whether Simonson added that on.

Either way, it sucks.

I feel very negative about this stretch of comics.

Maybe things will get better. But the Worst Roster in issue #300 is upcoming. And then after a bit, John Byrne will be taking over both Avengers books.

There’s some that like John Byrne’s writing but his run contains several very irritating retcons and shifts in characterization.

We’ll see.

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