#the popular request was like 2 people but alas

[arthur-lesters-right-arm]

Alright fine due to popular request I'll go through all of today's sexually charged malevolent asks

[pappydaddy]

1k follower celebration

as i was busy in the storm of exams, graduating, and applying for further education (and jobs), you lovelies were amazing me once again and got me to 1000 (!!!!) followers!

i am so beyond words, i have been since i noticed the 1000 follower mark. i am slightly upset that i couldn't celebrate when i hit said mark or when i hit the 900 follower mark, but as i said, i was drowning in philosophy (i needed it to pass and it hurt, amazing course, it just hurt and i was fighting for my life every class - my professor would not slow down). on top of philosophy, i was working on taking notes for all my classes that semester so i actually had to pay attention and not sit in the back of the class writing or working on assignments for other classes.

but, alas, i am here now to celebrate you lovelies! i think a lot of people assume this is celebrating me and my accomplishments on this blog, but i 100% do it to celebrate you! because i wouldn't be holding these celebrations without you lovelies being here. i love each and every single one of you lovelies and i hope you never, ever doubt that. i am thankful for all of you because you are you and you are amazing!

so, without further ado (and sappiness), i present to you lovelies:

pappydaddy's 900/1k follower celebration!

first things first.... rules! might be pesky, but ensure the fun is at the max (wow i sound lame, i heard it lovelies!!) be respectful! to me, to my followers, to anyone who happens upon my blog (this is a standard rule to my blog, but i feel the need to reiterate it). requests are still closed, what does this mean? check my navigation page! now, for the details! this is a week-long event so this event ends on aug 28 @ 12 EST - that's right lovelies, it will be a two week event!! (was the 21st - extended till the 28th) closed

📝 = write a blurb/fic - give me (1) a character from one of the shows/movies i write for, (2) a song, a prompt, a word, a title, etc. (3) a general feel to the fic (i.e., angst, fluff, sad, character death, etc.) and i will write a blurb for it. it won’t be long by any means, but they most likely won’t be all the same length. most popular!

🏆 = give me things to rank (i.e., characters, movies, shows, books, songs, my own fics, etc.) and i will order them based on personal preference (least to most liked) - do not send me other fics from different authors to rank!

🎧= give me a character and I will create a playlist I think would fit them.

🌹= i will release a sentence from one of my wips

🎵 = tell me about yourself and give me a character and i will make a playlist that i think would suit your relationship with each other – please specify which type of relationship (romantic, platonic, etc.) or i will assume it’s romantic. fairly popular!

💋= give me a list of characters and i will choose who i would rather marry/fuck/kill - the characters can be from multiple fandoms! and other followers/persons can input their lists as well!

🧚🏻= send me a sentence or a paragraph with a character and i will build a fic (of varying lengths) from it.

🌵 = random. send me anything and i will answer/write it (no smut, things that are inappropriate or offensive will be deleted).

🥵 = tell me a character and I will create a spicy blurb for the x (any pronouns) reader.

🍾 = ask my anything, ask me my opinion on anything, and i will respond honestly (please do not ask any questions for me to reveal my identity, any of those asks will be deleted and unanswered!)

happy submitting lovelies!

[jazzy-a]

I'd like to get to know you!

Hey @windsweptinred! Thanks for the invite!

1: Three ships I like right now...

Hmm, let's assume this means "ship-ships" and not family or friendships, right? Because, WOOF, would we be here for awhile.

Kaz Brekker/Jesper Fahey from Shadow and Bone. It breaks my heart, it ain't ever ever gonna happen, the book apparently spits on me and rips my heart out of my chest, and it's now difficult to find the kind of fanfiction I want for it... Oh sweet suffering. (I will also always accept Kaz/Inej/Jesper in this equation).

Tsukitachi/Hirato from Karneval. Look, it's NOT going away for me, guys. Yes, I know the fandom is dead, there is 0 content for it, and no one knows/cares what I'm talking about with them. Which is SO sad honestly because I know that if it were just more popular, people would be having a blast with the characters, plots, pairings etc. Sigh... Alas, though, Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are DEAD AF... Still, I love my BFF Captains, even if no one knows they exist but me lol.

Lastly, probably Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson? They have... pretty great fics, guys. As in some true 'chef's kiss' grade smut lol.

2: First Ever Ship... Puppyshipping (Seto Kaiba/Joey Wheeler) from Yu-gi-oh 100%. Closely followed by Dragonshipping... who.. um, guys, is practically canon if you rewatch it, which I think is hilarious. Like, WATCH THE DARK SIDE OF DIMENSIONS MOVIE. OMG. Joey gets saved by this man and is legit trying not to sob to Yugi over the fact he was in love with his alter ego bahhahahahah. Anyway though, just something about puppyshipping.... the low hanging fruit of it, I never stood a chance. Like OMG, it was my GATEWAY DRUG! Do I see how unrealistic and problematic it is as a grow woman? You bet I do... do I look back on it fondly? It is my first love <3

3: Last song.... Hm. About Love by MARINA. So pretty and nice to hear her newer stuff. And, NO, I didn't find it from the movie everyone keeps talking about. I never saw it, I found this the old fashion way... hearing it on the radio at my place of employment lol.

4: Last Movie.... Lephrechaun 4: IN SPACE! HAHAKJBKJBASJKBD I am watching ALL of them for the first time, and they are so so beautiful. Like...SO BAD. SO GOOD!!!!!

5: Currently reading... Um, like, ALL the family feels fanfiction of the TMNT 2012 brothers I can get my hands on. Can't stress enough that I am NOT shipping this. FA-MI-LY fics, okay?? Family is my weakness! Why do you think I love talking about Dream's messed up family and making my own crack content??

6: Currently watching... Actually, I'm finally going back and watching ALL of Steven Universe because I never did when it aired. I remember it getting really heavy and, at the time, I just didn't have the emotional bandwidth for it. Now, however, I am literally chugging its traumatic plot lines like I'm rushing at a frat house. Sobbing the entire time alone in my room. Loving EVERY second of it hahah!

7: Currently eating... Nothing :c

8: Currently Craving... Not gonna lie. I'd murder for a muffin rn. Oh, and more fanfiction of like... everything I have on my docket. Like...please? I need it like oxygen? On a desert island, I would request food, water, and more fanfiction.

And now for the embarrassing moment where I display how little I actually have on this app. Tagging some people that have been on my wall lately :) (no pressure!): @purplexiasphinx, @crxssingtherubic0n, @turrondeluxe, @synnesai

[minaxmoon]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, [MINA MOON]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [BAE SUZY]. You must be the [TWENTY-FOUR] year old [ATTENDANT AT TIDAL WAVE MUSIC SHOP]. Word is you’re [CREATIVE] but can also be a bit [IMPATIENT] and your favorite song is [SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW BY KEANE]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

Basics:

Full name: Mina Moon

Nickname: M

Age: 24

Birthdate: February 11th, 1999

Sun,Moon,Rising: Pisces, Taurus, Pisces

Hometown: Aurora Bay

Job: Attendant at Tidal Wave Music Shop

Been in Aurora Bay: 24 years (left for 2 years, has been back for 1 year)

Bio:

Mina is the middle child and only daughter of Dae and Hana Moon. Her parents immigrated from Seoul to Aurora Bay years before she was conceived with her paternal grandmother following along.

Her father works as a financial advisor, while her mother is homemaker. Mina's mother was a social butterfly and from the moment she stepped foot into Aurora Bay, she opened up their house. Her house was the fun house. Karaoke and game night were a staple of the weekends.

While her household was social, Mina remained more on the quiet side. Her favorite pastimes were playing dolls, reading, writing and playing the piano. Much of those hobbies are still the same in her life, but she swapped the dolls for the sims franchise.

Despite her quiet nature, it was always easy for Mina to make and keep friends, just like all of the Moon family.

Mina always felt a sense of overprotection from her family, being that she was the only girl. Her father guarded her way too much, while her mother had high expectations of their gifted daughter. All of that has caused her to become a perpetual people-pleaser with a tendency to have no boundaries and lack of being able to say 'no'.

Wanting to make her parents happy, at their request, she stayed in Aurora Bay after high school and attended the local college gaining a degree in accounting. Something that she thought was soul sucking for her creative side but practical from a financial side.

Upon graduating, she was offered a job in Chicago and gladly took it to get away from the limitations she felt her parents put on her.

It was in Chicago that she realized her degree would go to waste because there was no way she could continue being an accountant. She lasted in her job for a year, before quitting and taking a job as a barista. It was a small little coffee shop that had open mic nights, which sparked Mina's love for music again.

With her cheap keyboard, Mina began writing her own songs and composing her own music. Sometimes even playing at the coffee shop that she worked at. She continued this for a year.

Alas, the rent was too damn high and Mina had no other choice but to return to Aurora Bay. Luckily for her, Mina didn't have an onslaught of questions from her parents because they had moved to Texas a few months before she came back. She never told them that she quit her job long ago and lies even until this day, telling them that she was laid off due to budget cuts.

She lives in her childhood home with her grandmother. Her grandmother has made it a point not to hassle Mina as she figures out what she wants in life.

She's in a transitional period and completely at a lost for what her goals are and what comes next.

Headcanons:

Mina has an extreme sweet tooth. Catch at the bakery at least three times a week.

Mina has at least six songs that she has wrote and amatuerly recorded but refuses to let anyone but close friends listen to them.

She travels outside of Aurora Bay and to major cities every other weekend to play at bars and sing covers of popular songs.

Mina has a black cat named Severus and a pug named Daenerys.

Despite her lying to her parents about her life direction, Mina is extremely close to her family. She has an older brother(wanted connection) still living in town that she sees frequently.

Important Relationships:

Family; Parents: Dae and Hana Moon, Siblings: Ewan Moon (26), Jaeson Moon (19), Grandmother: Da-Eun Moon

Platonic; Plots wanted: Childhood friends, family friends, work buddies, college friends, sibling-like relationships.

Romantic; Plots wanted: First love, unrequited crush. Mina has only had one relationship in her life. So that person would remain very special to her.

[failing-to-write-again]

Ouch

I think the other anon probably meant a fluffy moment for that photo ask 😬

Hey it sucks you didn't enjoy the piece. Generally the feedback has been positive but I'm always open to critics. I have a personal writing style and I prefer to write DL content with a bit of a nod to the weird nature of developing relationships in the games. They are slow and jumpy and weird and I enjoy the idea of seeing into the boys' head during that. They're weird dudes.

I do understand that isn't always the mood people are in and sometimes you want fluffy stuff to read which is why currently the part 2 where the readers find the boys baby photos is on the fluffier side. (I will link that post here when it is posted). I had this preplanned because I wasn't sure if people were gonna enjoy my approach. I'm hoping I can get that posted within the following week. If the original asker didn't enjoy it I'm sorry and I do hope the part two makes up for that. If they did enjoy the piece I'm very glad and I hope they love part 2 just as much. Alas, it's impossible to know what they probably wanted unless you were to ask them. If the post isn't what you wanted to read that's unfortunate I know DL isn't as popular a fandom anymore and a lot of the writing is on Wattpad, which I didn't know about for a while because I'm an ao3 girlie. I do mostly see either very angst or very fluffy stuff there so I understand the fandom is not cohesive in what it wants.

But yeah my personal writing style will generally not be 100% fluff, I'm hoping to do a slow progression through posts of the relationship improving to make my stories more fun to flick back through. If you ever wanna request a piece though don't feel shy to be specific in saying fluff or angst or a mix, I will never be offended for you asking for what you like. I do wanna say thank you to the original asked though for letting me chose between the two options because it gave me the idea to write one in a style my true to me and the other in a much more fluffy way to make sure I'm meeting people's fluff needs. 😊

[fioras-resolve]

So, i've been sitting on this post for a few days, I feel like there were some things I left out here. Part of it's worrying that people would get the wrong idea, but also that "it says something but i don't know what" is just a lazy analysis on its own. I analyze games, it's what I fuckin' do. So let's get analytical.

Towards the end of season 2, I compiled data about who plays which character online. You can get this data by yourself, by just looking at the rankings, going by character, and hitting up to go to the bottom. Basically, this is a count of how many people have played each character at some point in online ranked this month. I've put that data into this spreadsheet here, and I also included data on what percentage of the total each character gets, and categorized them into popularity tiers of about equal player count.

You can see that Bridget is in 4th place, right above Baiken and right below Ramlethal. Testament is in 10th, between May and Sin. Speaking from experience, I know quite a few people who bought Strive because of Bridget. And that's true for a lot of characters, it's true for Testament to some extent, but like. Bridget's above Baiken, months after either of them had been released. Testament's reveal was hype in its own way, but that hype was mostly in-community from people who had already been playing Guilty Gear. Bridget hype transcended the series itself.

So like, I was there when Testament was announced for Strive. I didn't have the game yet, my hands were full with +R, but I remember the vibe of the community at the time. It was equal parts GGXX players happy and scared to see such a powerful threat return, and people from Xrd or new to Strive who were mainly struck by how hot Testament is. Their reception since then has mostly been from people who don't play Testament bitching about fighting Testament. Alas, such is the fate of the zoner.

Bridget, on the other hand, was different. Because Bridget's popularity already transcended the Guilty Gear franchise. She was famous in weeb circles as one of the notable crossdresser characters of the 2000s. And while she was treated weirdly both by the fanbase and the game, her inclusion was genuinely a good thing for the Guilty Gear series. I'm not gonna go into detail on trap discourse here, because I don't walk in those circles, but it is genuinely nice to have gender non-conforming people in your world, and for them to just be people. She was the second most requested character in Japan for Xrd Revelator, and in everybody's top ten for Season 2 of Strive. There was hype for her before she was even announced. (Also if you want to hear more about Bridget's history and significance now go to this video by RickiHirsch it's a good one and where i got the history from here)

Even before Bridget came out (both as trans and into Strive) we all knew that her return would be... fraught. Even if she was just a femboy, it's very hard for gamers and weebs to be normal about gender non-conforming people. And when she was announced, it was unclear whether she actually was? Like, it did take some prying to get a confirmation that she is, in fact, a trans woman now. I mean, not even confirmation, that was already in the game. We talk about poor reading comprehension on Tumblr, I have never seen worse comprehension than from the people desperately trying to convince themselves that Trans Bridget Isn't Real.

And like, backlash like this will always make people defensive and rally around your shit more, I do think that was a part of it? But saying that own its own is ignoring the sheer joy that was in the air through all of this. I had issues with how her reveal was handled in Strive, but for a lot of trans women, this was genuinely a great moment. She comes out openly as a girl, she's got that dysphoria hoodie and bearish blahaj equivalent, and her theme song about overcoming dysphoria resonates with a lot of trans people, including me. This was, genuinely, a moment for explicit trans representation. And I'm all here for it.

But let's come back to Testament real quick. Their reveal, redesign, and story progression are all meaningful. Testament actually being a they/them androgyne is pretty cool, and fitting for their character, and seeing them just happy and living their life is a really amazing thing. It is, textually, doing a lot of the same things that Strive Bridget is doing. But, Testament is a less well-known character, who like Bridget didn't make it to Xrd, but whose popularity didn't transcend the series. I'm not trying to make this just "Testament wasn't as popular because Testament wasn't as popular" but it is a core factor.

The thing you need to understand is that in both +R and Strive, Testament's primary claim to fame is being fucking annoying to fight. They are the scourge of many a +R player, and their buffs in Strive have made them increasingly busted. This is a mechanical notoriety among people who play the game, but to put it bluntly, a large-scale fandom for a game needs to go beyond the people who play it. And while Testament was cool in +R and hot in Strive, they're up there with A.B.A and Order-Sol in the realm of legacy characters that old players want to play. I'm glad they god in, Strive needed some real zoning prior to Asuka. But I was surprised, and naturally so.

...So let's talk about the character reveal. As a concept.

Look. I'm a game designer. I can tell you all about how to balance a pvp game, design a character's kit, and make interesting mechanics. But none of that's why people care about Bridget, right? See, my biggest weakness is and always will be marketing. I just don't do well at making myself presentable. But marketing is the most important thing for a game making money, even more important than making a good game. Yes, word of mouth matters, but you're not gonna get those mouths if you don't have people's eyes on you. Yes, there are anecdotes of a game with minimal marketing budget beating the odds and becoming the talk of the town. But for every one of those, you don't see the hundreds of others that fell by the wayside, because you didn't see them.

So, character-based marketing has been around for ages in games, and in other media for much longer. They are the selling point in any roster-based game, from Pokemon to League of Legends to Genshin Impact. Unless your fighting game has some other really strong selling point, the characters are gonna be the big thing. Obviously Smash Bros has the biggest advantage, being a massive franchise made up of dozens of other massive franchises. Sakurai doesn't need to tell his audience who Sephiroth is, so he can focus on setting up the reveal and making the trailer cinematic.

But a game like Guilty Gear really struggles with this, because like, who the fuck is Goldlewis Dickinson? He was the least played character from that data I compiled, despite being the first DLC character. It's definitely a playstyle issue in part, same deal as Jack-O'. But sometimes a character just doesn't find its audience, or struggles to appeal to people.

And this, I suspect, is where Bridget comes in. She had a bunch of factors in her favor, but to make a bunch of trans people who didn't give a shit about Guilty Gear start to get into this series is an achievement. What made it work was that this was a genuine attempt at representation that resonated with people. I suspect that "representation marketing" will become a broadly adopted tactic, but whether they stick the landing is up to them. It's also worth noting Overwatch has been doing this since 2016, uh, badly? I know a lot of its characters are from cultures that hardly get represented in games, and that their being there is genuinely appreciated by people in those cultures, but like. You've probably already thought of an egregious example from Overwatch, I don't need to go into that here.

I do genuinely think that Bridget represents a sea change in how developers do character reveals and representation in general. Bridget was a proud message from Strive's developers that trans women are a real and welcome part of Guilty Gear. And I appreciate that. But let's also remember what came before, and what we can learn from that.

it kinda says something that testament was revealed in strive before bridget, complete with an androgynous look and they/them pronouns, but they weren't nearly as much of a Moment culturally as brisket was. i don't think it says a bad thing necessarily, but i think a lot about how The Character Reveal works as a marketing tool, and how bridget might have been a sea change for that

[illusionsofdreaming]

I’ve always wanted to do this for the new years but I’ve never had time to do it on time. Thankfully this day is also a perfect day to really reflect and say my thanks because the blog has been through many changes after a year and it’s really group effort at this point.

Because miscellaneous stats make me happy this is all TCF focused and excludes stats from other fandoms. I mean. I’m also lazy and can’t be bothered to math too much. Anyways let’s take a rewind and see what shit I’ve been up to-

October 4, 2020 was the first time I contemplated writing for TCF. I’ve just been exposed to TCF and craving for reader content, alas, there weren’t many. See I could write a bit but since there weren’t many reader fics back then, I wanted to check if anyone’s as desperate for reader content like me...

But it wasn’t until January 28, 2021 did I finally dip my toes into TCF writing with my very first offering to the community “TCF Relationship Headcanons”. Not long after, my first TCF x Reader imagine “Lay Down your Ghosts” was posted and the rest was history after that!

As of to date, I’ve written 59 TCF pieces, 39 of which were headcanons posts and 20 were imagines posts (not counting pieces written for may’s challenge).

Most popular Headcanon: Weak but always getting into trouble reader

Most popular Imagine: Imagining you in a Wedding Dress

The character most often requested and written for is unsurprisingly, Cale leading with 80% frequency, Alberu at second place with 47% and Choi Han at third with 44%. 

Characters I’d like to write more for in the future would include: Rosalyn, Toonka and Beacrox

Currently, I have 54 requests left in my inbox and... 32 WIPs in my drafts.

Fun fact: there are 2 short imagines that I’ve written but have not included in the masterlist or imagines tag, yet people still keep finding them somehow. So they’ve turned into something like the blog’s easter eggs. If you know which posts I’m referring to, then you know ☆⌒(≧▽° ) 

It’s been a year and a bit more since my first contribution to TCF fandom and I’ve met many good friends and nonnies alike who’ve supported me. I can’t stress how much it means for me to have people sticking around to read and join in my shenanigans. I’m not a frequent poster and I’m always grateful everyone’s been so accepting of my procrastination, my English messups and my general outdatedness. For everyone who’s been there from the start, many who’ve met in the middle and people who’ve just recently joined me on this journey, for whatever reason you’ve decided to stick along, from the bottom of my heart,

Thank you❤️.

Many thanks to the support from:

just-a-sleepy-person, owhda, mikachu, @angelus1590, @asteriaevelyn, @bonnienoir, @awanauria, @seikouryuu, @midlightart, @fluffabutt, @raritygold, @calesleftboob, @calehenituse-brainrot, @theseagullsscreamat6am,  @cecilisthebest, @rosae-lia, @strawberrymilkyum, @mortiferumsomnum, @tocalehenitusethatmf, @murasaki-cha, @sandwitchofsands, @madebytinypals, @nindeer24,  @luthefriendlywitch, @mintyice777, @taliahallow, @halluvic, @tokinosoda, @astridevelynn, @slackerlife0811, @marxjio, @hakuroren, @herthoughtswandered, @ainakamura73, @miallurk, @messedupmoon, @i-am-a-simp632, @peculiarphantomphoenix​, @weirdsht​, @raon4life, @vara02, @wearetherealarm, @rinxxciel​, @aigoocale-nim​ + all the lovely nonnies, all the lurkers and many, many more that I’ve missed because I’m terrible at keeping track and I really should keep a list...

[sineala]

Tony Stark and Arthuriana

Coming to you by special request, a very long post about 616 Tony's interest in Arthuriana, with a focus on all of Tony's run-ins with Morgan le Fay!

I feel like I should disclaim the extent of my knowledge here, which is that I still haven't managed to read anywhere near every issue of Iron Man -- at least, not yet, anyway -- so I'm just going by the things I know I've read, and Morgan le Fay's Marvel wiki entry is frustratingly under-cited, so it's very possible I've missed something relevant, but I'm pretty sure I've got the big stuff down. My other disclaimer here is that I'm not as big an Arthurian nerd as Tony is, which is to say that most of my familiarity comes from modern retellings -- T. H. White's The Once and Future King, Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave, Rosemary Sutcliff's Sword at Sunset -- and not so much the usual classic sources on the Matter of Britain, though I've read bits and pieces of them.

(This is because I wanted to read versions of them that were as close to the original as possible but so far have not ended up finishing any of them because, well, that's hard. So I've never read the Mabinogion because I do not know Welsh. I've got the Norton Critical Edition of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, which is probably the best student edition if you're looking for something without modernized spellings, as I was. I've also got -- well, okay, it's my wife's but I'm borrowing it -- a relatively recent Boydell & Brewer edition (ed. Reeve, tr. Wright) of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), which is, you guessed it, in Latin with a facing English translation. I haven't gotten very far in it because, in case you didn't know this about Latin texts, the beginning is pretty much always the hardest, so I gave up and read some Plautus adaptations instead. Anyway, if for some reason you too want to read Geoffrey of Monmouth in the original Latin I'd recommend that one, but I can't recommend any particular English translations because I've never read one by itself. I bet you didn't think you'd be getting Latin prose recommendations in this post. I mean, maybe you did; it is me, after all.)

Okay. Right. King Arthur. Here we go.

We've got:

Flashbacks to Tony's childhood in late Iron Man volume 1

A brief discussion of Morgan's origin story and Avengers #187

Iron Man vol 1 #149-150: Doomquest

What If vol 1 #33: What if Iron Man was trapped in the time of King Arthur?

Iron Man vol 1 #249-250: Recurring Knightmare

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #1-4

Avengers vol 3 #1-4: The Morgan Conquest

Civil War: The Confession

Mighty Avengers vol 1 #9-11: Time Is On No One's Side

In terms of universe-internal chronology, we know from Iron Man #287, from 1992, that Tony has been a fan of King Arthur since childhood. This is an issue of a fandom-favorite arc which features Tony having a lot of childhood flashbacks, including the famous "Stark men are made of iron" line (in #286) that for some reason MCU fandom decided it loved; I mean, seriously, I've seen that quoted in way more MCU fic than 616 fic. But slightly later, in #287, we get an entire page devoted to Tony's love of King Arthur.

The narration reads: "Over the next few years, I learned as my father intended. Discipline of body. Strength of character. But in what free time I was allowed, I worked my way through the school's library. At thirteen, I discovered Mallory [sic], who showed me a whole new world. A world of dedication to a cause greater than oneself. Of chivalry and honor. And the fantastic deeds -- of armored heroes."

The art shows Tony as a child sitting under a tree, reading a book labeled Mort D'Arthur by Mallory [sic] -- no, don't ask me why nobody at Marvel checked how to spell either the name of the book or its author -- and daydreaming of King Arthur, the Sword in the Stone, knights, et cetera. Just in case you somehow missed the extremely blatant hint that we are meant to understand that Tony's knight obsession heavily influenced him becoming Iron Man as an adult, we see one of his armors mixed in with all the drawings of knights. So, yes, canonically Tony is Iron Man at least partly because he's a giant King Arthur nerd, which I think is so very sweet. I love him. He's such a dork!

(This issue is currently in print in the Iron Man Epic Collection War Machine, should you need your own copy.)

This isn't actually the only reference to Tony as a King Arthur fanboy in this era of canon, either; a little later, in IM #298, we see that one of Tony's passwords is actually "Mallory." (Yeah, no, they still couldn't spell. But it's cute.)

But in terms of actual publication order, this is definitely not the first time we have seen in canon that Tony is into Arthuriana, as I'm sure you all know. I would assume, in fact, that giving Tony a childhood interest in Arthuriana is because Doomquest is one of the most beloved Iron Man story arcs of all time, and that all started at least a decade before IM #287 here was published.

The villain of Doomquest -- the one who isn't Doctor Doom, at least -- is Morgan le Fay. Yes, that Morgan le Fay. Yes, Arthur's evil half-sister Morgan le Fay. Yes, all of this King Arthur stuff is canonically real history on Earth-616. Morgan's first appearance in Marvel, per the wiki, was in Black Knight #1 (1955), which I have not read, and judging by the summary I feel like this is probably just supposed to be a straight-up comic retelling of Arthurian legends for kids; I don't think Marvel really had the whole Marvel Universe in mind as a concept in 1955, so I'm not sure this was meant to connect to anything else. I feel like this is another one of those instances of Marvel discovering that they can write comics about characters in the public domain for free -- like, I'm pretty sure that's how we also ended up with, like, Norse, Greek, and Roman mythology wedged into 616.

As far as I can tell from the wiki, the first time Morgan tangled with the Avengers (or indeed the larger 616 universe) in any way actually predated Doomquest -- it was in an early arc in Spider-Woman (#2-6) and then Avengers #187, which came out in 1979, actually right when Demon in a Bottle was happening over in Iron Man comics. If you read #187, Iron Man is not in it because he's off the team due to his drinking problem and also his accidentally murdering the Carnelian ambassador problem. So Wonder Man's filling in instead. This issue is part of Michelinie's rather sporadic Avengers run, which makes sense, I guess, considering where we see Morgan next.

Anyway, Avengers #187 is the classic issue where Wanda is possessed by Chthon, but what you may not remember from Chthon's backstory (I sure didn't!) is that he was summoned by Morgan le Fay because she was the first person who tried to wield the Darkhold to summon him. As you can imagine, this did not work out especially well for her and her followers and they had to seal Chthon away in Wundagore Mountain, which was where Wanda found him. (The Spider-Woman stuff is only slightly earlier and also appears to be about Morgan and the Darkhold; the Darkhold is not one of the areas of 616 canon I am especially conversant with, alas. It's on my to-read list.)

Doomquest, as you probably know, was a classic Iron Man two-parter in Layton & Michelinie's first Iron Man run that set up Tony and Doom as rivals; Doomquest itself was IM #149-150, in 1981, and then in their second IM run they came back and did a sequel in 1989, Recurring Knightmare (IM #249-250), and then the much later four-part sequel to that was the 2008 miniseries Iron Man: Legacy of Doom, which was also by Layton & Michelinie but generally does not seem to be as popular as the first two parts. They've all been reprinted, if you're looking for copies; I have a Doomquest hardcover that collects the first four issues and then a separate Legacy of Doom hardcover. Currently in the Iron Man Epic Collection line there's a volume called Doom, which confusingly only collects the 249-250 part of the storyline (as well as surrounding issues), because for some reason the first Layton & Michelinie run isn't in Epics yet but the second one is. So the beginning of Doomquest isn't currently in print, as far as I can tell. I'm sure you can find it anyway.

So what's Doomquest about? Okay, so you remember how Doctor Doom's mother's soul is stuck in hell for all eternity? Well, Doom's obviously interested in getting her back, and the strategy he has embarked on is to try to team up with other powerful magicians who can help him out, and he thinks Morgan le Fay would be a good choice, for, uh, his quest. Doom's quest. A Doomquest, if you will. (If you've ever read Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph & Torment, you're familiar with the part where he later ends up waylaying Strange for this and they go to hell together. And if you haven't read Triumph & Torment, you really should, because it's amazing.)

So Doom is off to his time machine to go team up with Morgan le Fay and Tony thinks Doom is up to something -- Doom has been stealing components for his time machine from a lot of people, including Tony -- and he follows him and it turns out one of Doom's lackeys has a grudge and wants to trap Doom in the past forever, and Tony gets caught up in it. Now they're both in Camelot. Surprise! #149 is actually all setup; they don't get to Camelot until #150.

IM #150 begins with Doom and Tony thrown back into the past; there's a fandom-famous splash page of them locked in combat, only to realize that they have found themselves in Camelot.

They are then discovered by knights; Doom would very much like to attack them, but Tony, who naturally would be happy to LARP Camelot forever, persuades him to play nice. Also Doom thinks Iron Man is only Tony's bodyguard so he keeps referring to him as "lackey," much to Tony's annoyance. Somehow everyone thinks they're sorcerers. Can't imagine why. The knights take them to meet King Arthur himself, and Tony has clearly had his introduction all ready to go, as he introduces himself in a timeline-appropriate manner, says he's here to apprehend Doom, and demonstrates his "magic" by levitating Arthur's throne. Doom's response is essentially "I'm the king of Latveria," which is, y'know, also valid. So they're guests at Camelot for the night while Arthur figures out what to do with them.

We then have a page devoted to Tony alone in his room, musing sadly about how alien he feels, how he doesn't know if he'll ever get home, how he could never fit in here without his beloved technology. Then a Sexy Lady shows up to keep him company for the night, and he decides maybe it's not all bad. Thanks, Marvel. I guess they can't all be winners.

Doom is using his evening much more productively; he compels one of the servants to tell him where Morgan's castle is, because he's still interested in having that team-up. Then he jets off. Literally. He has a jetpack.

The next morning Arthur's like "one of you is still here and one of you has punched a hole through the castle wall and flown off to join Morgan so I guess I know which of you is more trustworthy." He then explains to Tony who Morgan is, because Tony professes ignorance, because clearly we had not yet retconned in Tony's love of Arthuriana. Tony offers to go fight Doom and Morgan with Arthur; meanwhile, Morgan and Doom have teamed up and Morgan has offered to help get Doom's mother out of hell if he commands her undead armies against Arthur because for Reasons she can't command them herself anymore. So that's a thing that happens.

So, yes, it's Tony and Arthur versus Doom and Morgan. Fight fight fight!

Tony tries Doom first but then decides to hunt Morgan down, and in the ensuing fight we get what I think is Tony's first ever "I hate magic," a complaint that we all know he still makes even to this day.

Anyway, Tony freezes a dragon with Freon (mmm, technology) and Morgan gets upset and disappears, so the battle comes to an end, and of course Doom is extremely mad at Tony because he blames Tony for Morgan not sticking around to save Doom's mom, because I guess Doom trusted her to keep her word? Weird. (Like I said, for the next chapter of Doom saving his mother, go read Triumph & Torment.)

Doom says if he and Tony work together, the components in both of their armors can send them both home. So Tony has to trust Doom. Which he does, because he really has no other choice. They build a time machine and Tony makes Doom agree to a 24-hour truce when they get back, so they can both get home. So it all works out okay, and they end up in the present, and Doom tells him, ominously, that they will meet again. Okay, then. That concludes the original Doomquest. It's fun! You can see why fandom likes it.

So that's all well and good, but you might have noticed that Tony's ability to get home hinged on Doom actually being trustworthy. And Doom was. But what if Doom hadn't been? What if he'd just stranded Tony in Camelot forever As you may have surmised from the form of that question, that is in fact a question Marvel asked themselves, because, yes, there's a What If about this! What If v1 #33 is "What if Iron Man was trapped in the time of King Arthur?"

The divergence point from canon, as you can probably guess, is the very end of Doomquest. Instead of Doom bringing Tony home, he deceives him and leaves him in Camelot. And since Tony cannibalized a lot of the tech from his armor to make the time machine, he doesn't have a way to go home.

This is not a story where Tony comes up with a way to go home after all. He really doesn't get to go home. But instead of drowning his sorrows in mead -- because, remember, Demon in a Bottle has already happened and Tony is sober now -- he decides he might as well just play the hand he's dealt. So with what's left of his armor, he defeats some enemies that Morgan rounds up to send against Camelot. And for his services, he's knighted. He is now Sir Anthony.

Tony acknowledges that he is both living the dream and would also like very, very much to go home.

He does end up having some fun in Camelot; it's not all miserable. But he obviously doesn't want to be there.

So if you're at all familiar with King Arthur, you know how this goes, right? Arthur fights Mordred and Mordred kills him. And that does happen in this version. Except Tony is right there, and with his dying words, Arthur asks Tony to rule Camelot... and Tony agrees.

So, yes, Tony Stark becomes king of the Britons after Arthur's death and he never goes home again. The end. Man, I love What Ifs.

Heading back to main 616 continuity, there is still more of this arc to go. The original Doomquest was only two issues, yes, but it was popular enough that Layton & Michelinie did a sequel a hundred issues later, in their second run of Iron Man, and that's Iron Man #249-250, Recurring Knightmare. (In the intervening issues were Denny O'Neil's IM run, specifically the second drinking arc (#160-200), and then Layton & Michelinie came back and most famously gave us Armor Wars (#225-232). I would have to say that Armor Wars is definitely the standout fandom-favorite arc of their second IM run; for their first one, I think a lot of people would have a hard time choosing between Doomquest and Demon.) But anyway, yes. Recurring Knightmare.

Recurring Knightmare is... well, the best way I can describe it is "a trip." It is definitely a sequel to Doomquest, and it is also definitely not a sequel you  would ever have expected to see for Doomquest.

Much like #149, #249 is pretty much just setup. Fun setup, but the big action is in the next issue. We open with Doom in Latveria, on his throne, pondering which of his servants he should have disintegrated. Anyway, he's just hanging out there when a mysterious object appears. In California, Tony is suited up and entertaining the crowd at a mall opening when the same object also appears! He takes it to his lab. Please note that this is after the Kathy Dare incident, so Tony is still recovering and is walking with a cane. Doom sees on the news that Iron Man has found the same object, which cannot be carbon-dated, and he shows up at Tony's house. He criticizes Tony's taste in art.

Anyway, Doom basically orders Tony to work with him. Tony refuses, and then Doom sends some robots to attempt to steal Tony's version of the object because he thinks if he has them both he will be powerful. Doom manages to steal it, and when he puts the pieces together, both he and Tony disappear.

So where do they go, you might ask? Camelot?

Not exactly. The future! There is a great callback to the Doomquest splash page.

It turns out they are in London in 2093. Merlin brought them there. Tony still hates magic. And in the future, King Arthur is still there, except he is now a child, because he has been reborn. But he does remember Tony from Doomquest, at which point Tony kneels. Doom, of course, is not impressed. He asks why they have been brought to the future.

The answer is that things are going wrong in the future. If you do not personally remember United States politics in the 1980s, I need you to google the words "Strategic Defense Initiative" right now. I'll wait.

Back with me? Okay, so this is a future where Reagan's Star Wars program actually happened the way he wanted it to, and the satellites are still hanging around the Earth in the future and messing everything up, and Arthur and Merlin need Tony and Doom's help to stop them. Doom once again flies away with his jetpack, of course.

Tony is game to help, but he's not in an armor that can stay in space for long. This is when Merlin takes him and Arthur to the mall and Tony manages to get everything to upgrade his armor at Radio Shack. You see what I meant about this issue being weird.

Tony is out in space trying to disarm the SDI platform, which is where he runs into his future descendant, Andros Stark, who is in armor you will probably recognize from Iron Man 2020. He is referred to as "the resurrected spawn of Iron Man 2020" so I assume he's actually directly related to Arno rather than a direct descendant of Tony; Wiki confirms that Arno is his grandfather. This is all from way before Arno was contemporaneous with Tony in canon. Anyway, he's fighting Tony.

Oh, by the way, Future Doom exists. Future Doom would like to rule this future Earth and for some reason Andros would like to help him. Meanwhile, Present Doom finds out from Merlin that he can't leave except by magic and he can't leave without Tony, so he is reluctantly on Tony's side.

They need help from the Lady of the Lake, except the lake has been paved over and is now a parking lot. Merlin makes the lake come back and then of course they get Excalibur. Arthur is a kid, so he can't wield a longsword; Doom assumes he's going to take it because he is basically a king, and he's pretty grumpy when the sword picks Tony. Tony then uses Excalibur to destroy the space lasers, and I bet that is a sentence you never thought you would read. It's pretty cool. Tony concludes that magic has its good points. Tony stops Andros and Doom stops, uh, himself, and the world is saved and they get to go home. Also, Doom finds out Tony is Iron Man, but when Merlin sends them back he conveniently erases their memories, so neither of them remember anything about this and Tony's secret is still safe. And that's the sequel to Doomquest.

And if you think that's weird, wait until you see Legacy of Doom.

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom is a four-issue miniseries from 2008, also by Layton and Michelinie. Even though it's from 2008, it's set during a much more classic time in Iron Man, continuing on from where we left off in this Doomquest saga. We start with a framing story in 2008. Tony, who has Extremis now, is busy scrapping some of his older armors and reviewing his logs when he suddenly remembers that there was a whole thing with Doom that happened that he seems to have forgotten about until right now. So the whole thing is narrated by Tony in flashback.

Tony's in space fixing a satellite when a hologram of Doom shows up and summons him to Latveria. It's not really clear why Doom needs Tony's help in particular here, but Doom tells Tony that he's discovered that Mephisto would like to bring about the end of the world, which Doom finds, and I quote, "presumptive." So Doom has his Time Cube, and with it he takes Tony to hell.

(Yes, I promise this is relevant to Doomquest. There will be some Arthuriana shortly.)

Doom brings Tony to Mephisto, and it turns out it's a setup! Doom trades Tony for an item he wants from Mephisto, leaves, and Tony's going to be trapped in hell forever! Oh no! (I mean, he's not. But it's quite a cliffhanger.)

At the beginning of issue #2, we find out what the Arthurian connection is, which is that we learned that after the events of Doomquest, Morgan had been granted sanctuary by Mephisto in exchange for a shard of Excalibur that she had somehow stolen. Doom still wants Morgan's help with some magic -- he doesn't mention what it is here, but he says he needs someone of Pendragon blood, and that'd be her -- so he traded Tony to Mephisto in exchange for, I'm guessing, Morgan and the Excalibur shard.

I have probably mentioned this elsewhere, but Legacy of Doom #2 is one of my favorite issues of Iron Man ever, solely because of the next scene. We return to Tony in hell. Howard Stark is also in hell, and he is now a demon, and Tony has to fight him. Mephisto brings popcorn and watches. This is the one time in canon when Tony actually confronts his father, and okay, yes, it's a fistfight in hell and Howard is a demon, but that's comics for you. Howard spends several pages insulting Tony -- specifically insulting his masculinity, but that's a whole other essay -- until he finally insults Maria too, and that's when Tony fights back, because his mother taught him to be good. Honestly if you're a Tony fan I'd recommend this issue just for that scene.

Anyway, we go back to the Doom and Morgan plot, and Morgan casts the spell Doom wanted, which was fusing the Excalibur shard with Doom's armor. Then Doom sends her back to Camelot rather than hell, because he's still mad that she never helped him get his mom out of hell like she said she would.

Tony freezes Howard with Freon -- yes, the same trick he pulled on the dragon back in Doomquest -- and tells him, "You're no father of mine." It is immensely satisfying.

(I had been going to mention that I thought it was a shame that neither canon nor fandom seems to have really engaged with this confrontation, and I know canon never believes in narrative closure but fandom sure does -- and then, anyway, it occurred to me that since the framing story of Tony remembering this is set when Tony has Extremis, there's a very good chance that he no longer remembers remembering it. Goddammit, Marvel.)

(If I got to retcon one canon thing about Tony, I think "the entirety of World's Most Wanted" is up there. I mean, okay, a lot of things are up there, but WMW is definitely on the shortlist.)

Okay. Tony has now engineered his way out of hell, and he's back with Doom in Latveria. Doom has Excalibur. Doom would very much like to fight him. While wielding Excalibur. You get the sense that this is going to be bad. Another cliffhanger!

Legacy of Doom #3 opens with Tony destroying Doom's lab to buy time and running away from Doom and Excalibur. I should probably mention that Doom still doesn't know Tony is Iron Man (anymore), so he thinks he is dealing only with Iron Man, Tony Stark's lackey. Meanwhile, some scientists at SI think there's something weird going on with space. Meanwhile meanwhile, Tony is in a forest taking a breather when a mysterious old man walks up to him.

It's Merlin! Surprise! Merlin wants Tony's help to stop Doom from doing whatever he's doing with Excalibur. The sword makes you invincible and the scabbard makes you invulnerable, so Merlin sends Tony to Scotland on a fetch quest for the scabbard. Doom has now magically sent the sword in search of the scabbard, so the sword flies away to meet it and Doom follows. Turns out the thing that's wrong with space is a thing that's going to hit Earth at the exact place Tony and Doom are. What a coincidence! So Tony and Doom get trapped in a stone circle and fight some stone warriors and then Tony ends up with the scabbard. And by "ends up with," I mean it fuses to his armor. Next issue!

Legacy of Doom #4 is when things really, really get weird. A giant demon made of eyes (???) appears, and this demon is apparently what Doom had been preparing to fight (because it's mad that Doom stole one of its spellbooks), and now he can't, because the sword and the scabbard aren't together. Thanks, Shellhead.

That's when Merlin shows up and says all is not lost. They can defeat the demon... if they put the sword into the scabbard.

"But I'm the scabbard now!" Tony says, uncomprehending.

"Yes," Merlin says. "You are."

Then Tony gets it.

So, yes, Doom has to, um, penetrate Tony. With Excalibur. I love comics. I love comics so much.

So that's a thing that happens.

And then Tony flies off and, I guess, resolves to never, ever think about any of this again.

We head back to the framing story, in which Tony, now having remembered all of this, flies to Britain, buys the land the lake is on, and paves it over, presumably so it will be there for Merlin to bring back in Iron Man #250. The end.

Whew.

Okay, yeah, I know I didn't have to summarize the whole thing, but Legacy of Doom here really is one of my favorite Iron Man miniseries. And I just want to share the love. Please read it. It's great.

But the Arthuriana fun doesn't end there! In fact, now we get an Arthurian-themed arc that actually isn't in Iron Man comics. It's in Avengers! Iron Man is involved, though.

(There is also apparently a Morgan arc in Avengers #240. I actually haven't read it. It seems to be yet another Spider-Woman arc. I get the impression that this isn't really Arthuriana other than having Morgan in it fighting Jess, though, so it doesn't seem quite as relevant. Morgan also apparently has some appearances in FF, Journey into Mystery, and Marvel Team-Up, but those seem like more of just basic villainy. Also, probably not involving Tony.)

Kurt Busiek's 1998 Avengers run, volume 3, is in large part the kind of Avengers run that is a nostalgic love letter to older comics. Heroes are heroes and villains are villains and good triumphs over evil. The Avengers all live in the mansion and are BFFs. I love it. It does assume that you are already a fan of the Avengers, because it starts out by summoning pretty much everyone who has ever been an Avenger and is available to the mansion, and that is... a lot of people. Thirty-nine, by my count. Also, when the entire team is magically whisked away, we are treated to the following narration, as Steve disappears: "And Captain America's last thought, as the world goes white around him, and he with it -- is that Iron Man would hate this."

The narration doesn't tell you why Iron Man would hate this, or how Captain America would know that Iron Man hates this. This is not explained later on. But if you have read comics -- or if you have read the above summary of Doomquest -- you know that Tony is absolutely, one hundred percent, thinking, "I hate magic." And Steve knows it.

The reference is not relevant to the plot; if you don't get it, you'll be fine. But that's what I mean when I say this is a nostalgia run. There are definitely Easter eggs for people who have read a bunch of comics. Busiek does this a whole lot in his work -- there's a reason you can buy an annotated edition of Marvels -- and, yeah, it happens here too. Just know that there will be references you're not getting, if you're new to comics.

Anyway. So Busiek's run actually starts out with an Arthurian arc, #1-4, "The Morgan Conquest." The name is a dead giveaway. Yes, Morgan le Fay is back. Again. For once, Doom is not involved.

The Avengers are all back from their sojourn on Counter-Earth after fighting Onslaught -- don't worry about it -- and mysterious things are happening. There are a lot of monster attacks. So pretty much everyone who has ever been an Avenger is summoned to the mansion, at which point we learn from Thor about some mystical artifacts that are being stolen. (They are the Norn Stones and also the Twilight Sword. That sounds like something from a Zelda game, doesn't it?) The Avengers go to try to stop this, end up in Tintagel, and then they run into Mordred. He wants to capture Wanda, presumably for Magic Reasons. Morgan le Fay casts a spell on all of them, reshaping reality. Yes, all of them. Surprise!

So now all the Avengers are living in a medieval castle and/or town; Morgan is their queen, and thanks to the power of mind-control they are all basically living in Ye Olden Times. The Avengers are all some variety of knight, except for Wanda, who is chained up in the dungeon so Morgan can steal her magic and use it to fuel all this reality-warping.

Wanda calls for help, and that snaps Steve (Yeoman America!) out of the mind control (or altered reality or whatever you want to call it) pretty fast, because Steve's always been very good at resisting mind control, and then Steve promptly goes and snaps Clint out of it, because I guess Steve is also good at inspiring people to snap out of mind control. "Oh, man!" Clint says. "Not another alternate reality! Not again!" (I assume he's referring to Counter-Earth? Maybe?)

So Steve and Clint go around reassembling the Avengers and orienting them as to reality. They get Jan and Monica easily, but then Steve insists on trying to get Tony because, I guess, he likes Tony and would really like to hang around Tony, who is half-naked and asleep in his bedroom, and certainly I am reading nothing whatsoever into this. Clint tells Steve it's not going to work. Tony has historically been fairly susceptible to mind control; it was only pretty recently at this point that he'd been doing Kang's bidding in The Crossing. But the more serious impediment is that this is Tony Stark and he would obviously like to LARP being a knight forever and ever. Tony, therefore, does not believe Steve, and throws him and Clint out of his bedroom and into the barracks.

"Iron Man's a good guy, normally," Clint says. "But he's waaay too into his whole nobleman/lord of the manor trip. That spell musta hit him right where he lives!"

Clint speaks the truth, clearly.

Anyway, they go around and manage to make pretty much every Avenger in the room other than Tony snap out, and attempt to rebel against Morgan while Tony is stil fighting them because he is Still A Knight. There's a lot of punching, because some of the Avengers still aren't free; they weren't ones Steve found.

The day is saved when Wanda manages to channel Wonder Man and break free. This gives the Avengers a fighting chance against Morgan and the Avengers are all lending Wanda their power when Tony finally snaps out of it and is on the side of good. 

Then they take Morgan down, go home, and attempt to figure out which of these thirty-nine people should be on the active Avengers team. Hooray.

But that's not the end of Morgan le Fay showing up to screw around with Tony's life! There's more to come! Not much, but there is one that I know of, and at least one more memorable reference. 

(I haven't read all her appearances or anything, but one of them definitely involves Tony; I can't swear that he doesn't appear in any of the other books Morgan shows up in, but it'd be a cameo for him, because I only know of one more arc that she's in in a book that Tony stars in.)

In a few more years, we have now entered the part of Marvel Comics history where Brian Michael Bendis writes all the Avengers books at the same time for, like, seven years running. It was sure A Time. There were a lot of word bubbles.

And the thing about Bendis is, Bendis looooooves Doomquest. If you're familiar with the very end of his tenure at Marvel where he made Doom be Iron Man after Tony got knocked into a coma in Civil War II, you have probably figured out already that he likes Doom. But he also likes Doomquest, specifically.

I mean, if nothing else, the giant splash page in The Confession where Maleev redrew the climactic Doomquest fight while Bendis had Tony talk about how deeply meaningful to his understanding of the world this all was -- and how it allowed him to predict Civil War -- was probably a big clue, right?

As far as I am aware, Morgan le Fay makes exactly one more appearance in Tony's life. And that's in Mighty Avengers vol 1 #9-11. Only one of those issues is named, so I'm going to assume the arc is named after it: Time Is On No One's Side.

You remember Mighty Avengers, right? The deal with the Avengers books at the time was that after Bendis exploded the mansion and made the team disband in Avengers Disassembled, the main Avengers book was no longer called just Avengers. Instead, the main Avengers book was New Avengers, and that was the only Avengers book. Then Civil War happened, Steve got killed, and New Avengers became the book about what was left of the SHRA resistance (i.e., Steve's side) after the war. So about halfway through New Avengers, Mighty Avengers starts up, and Mighty Avengers is about an extremely fucked-up and grief-stricken Tony Stark trying to run the official government-sanctioned Avengers team, with Carol's help. This is the comic with the arc where Tony turned into naked girl Ultron. You remember.

So, anyway, there's this Mighty Avengers arc where Doom is Up To Something (there are symbiotes and a satellite involved) and somehow Tony and the Avengers end up in Latveria, punching Doom. Also, by the way, Doom is visiting Morgan in the past because he likes her. The Avengers attacking his castle made him have to come back to the present, so he's kind of cranky. And he fights Tony, and in the course of the fight, his time platform explodes and sends Doom and Tony and also the Sentry to... the past.

This is one of those times where you should definitely look up the comics if possible because the way the past is visually indicated here is that it's colored with halftone dots the way you would expect old comics to be colored, although they have modern shading and color palettes. It's very charmingly retro.

So the three of them are stuck in New York in the past, and naturally they would like to leave. There's one person in this time who has a time machine and it is, of course, Reed Richards. Doom and Tony have a lot of banter in this arc; I think it's entertaining.

Sentry has to be the one to break them all into the Baxter Building because of that power he has where no one will remember him. So they do that, travel forward in time, and end up in Latveria in the present again except Doom is gone and also things are currently exploding where they are.

Doom, of course, has made a side trip to visit Morgan again and he asks her to help him build an army, because I guess this is what their relationship is like. So the rest of the Avengers are captured by what look to me like Mindless Ones and are in a cave in magic bondage, because comics. Jess comments that at least they aren't naked, because she too is remembering that memorable New Avengers trip to the Savage Land. Doom threatens Carol in some creepy sexist ways and eventually it turns out that Tony and the Sentry are fine and everyone kicks Doom's ass. Business as usual.

And the last page of the arc is Morgan alone, wondering where Doom is. So technically Morgan and Tony don't come face to face here, but I think she counts as being at least partially responsible for ruining Tony's day here. And then Secret Invasion happens and Tony has a very, very bad day.

There are a few more Morgan appearances after this, but, as I said, I don't think any of them involve Tony. She shows up in Dark Avengers, apparently, which was one of the post-Civil War Avengers titles I didn't read, and I know that recently, on the X-Men side of things, she's been in Tini Howard's Excalibur one, which I have only read a little of. No Tony there. Just a lot of Morgan and Betsy Braddock and Brian Braddock and the Otherworld.

If you are interested in Morgan's other appearances, you might like this Marvel listicle that is Morgan le Fay's six most malicious acts. I pulled some of the Darkhold backstory from their discussion, but it's not really focused on Morgan and Tony.

So there you have it! That's everything I know about Tony's love for King Arthur and every run-in I know about that he's had with Morgan le Fay! One of two terrible people in Tony's life named Morgan! Actually, I don't think we've seen Morgan Stark in a while. I wonder if he's alive. There should be a Morgan & Morgan team-up. I should probably stop typing and post this.

The tl;dr point is that you should all read Doomquest and its sequels, especially Legacy of Doom. They're great!

[fanmoose12]

the devil you know

Сharacters: Hange Zoe, Levi, Moblit Berner, Zeke Yeagar, Armin Arlert

Genres: Action / Drama

Summary: Can you still miss a person, if everything you knew about them was a lie?

Сhapter 5/?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

"There is also a letter for you, sir."

Levi snatched it out of the messenger's fingers, thanking him by a quick, curt nod.

"You may go," he said, waiting for the soldier to leave, so he could read the letter in silence.

Just as he opened it, however, Zeke's face appeared right in front of him, materializing out of thin air.

"Got a love letter, Captain?" he mocked, his eyes glinting. "Or were you popular only once in your life?"

There was a fire right behind Zeke. Levi longed to throw him there. He almost smiled, as he imagined the beast running around with his pants on fire. Watching it would be much more satisfying than simply punching him in a face. Although.... if the beast lost his pants, Levi would be forced to become an unwilling spectator to Zeke walking around half naked. And Levi would rather slit his own throat with a sword.

"Mind your own business, beast," he grumbled, having his fill of arguing with Zeke. The bastard just wanted to get rise out of him anyway. One time Levi had let him. He wouldn't allow Zeke to have another victory. "And get lost. If you won't let me read the letter in peace, I won't let you read at all."

Levi pointedly looked at the book in Zeke's hands. The beast took a staggering step back, cradling the book protectively to his chest.

"Now I see why you weren't popular," he arrogantly scoffed, but left hurriedly before Levi could act on his threat.

When Zeke was a safe distance away, Levi sat down by the fire and opened the letter. The handwriting consisted of small, carefully curved letters. Armin's handwriting.

Levi hesitated to open it. He hoped it wasn't anything urgent. He hoped it wasn't bad news.

But if the things remained just as they were when he left, it could very well be both.

Oh how he hated being away. When he was in a thick of it, at least, he had the illusion of having control.

And right now, the only thing he could control was Zeke. As long as the beast’s and their goals aligned and the beast let Levi control him. And who knew when that was going to change.

It was going to change, Levi was sure of it.

Worry about that later, when the time comes, he told himself, as he shook his head, pushing anxious thoughts to the back of his mind, and finally opened the letter.

Sitting a little closer to fire, he started reading.

Captain Levi!

I hope the messenger brought you everything you needed. If supplies are running low, please tell me so.

I'm sure you want to know what's going on our side. Do not fret, we're holding on. For now. The tensions are still running high, but Commander Pixis is doing a great job of keeping everything under control. Commander Dawk helps plenty too, and together they're working closely with Chief Zacklay to ensure the island's safety.

Yesterday, I wrote a letter to Historia, requesting her to come back. I know she has to care for herself and her future child, but I think... maybe, we can use people's love for the Queen to put an end to their protests. There are more and more people gathering next to our headquarters. I think it’s time for her intervention.

Another matter you should know about is the fate of these Marleyans kids, Gabi Braun and Falco Grace. Unfortunately, they escaped from the prison, but rest assured we're going everything we can to locate them.

Truth be told, I worry about them. It's dangerous for them to walk around the island, while we're in the middle of that mess. Many people don't like Marleyans, so I hope these kids are at least smart enough to not start any trouble. Hange-san told me the very same thing - she worries for Falco and Gabi, but doesn't think they'll do something stupid.

And before you can ask, yes, I've interrogated Hange-san about their escape, she knows nothing. What's more, Jean, Sasha and Connie were with her in the presumptive time of the escape. If you don’t trust her, at least have faith in them.

Well, as I said, we're working on bringing them back.

Oh, and, by the way, Captain, we let Hange-san stay in her old room, just like I told you we would. She praised whoever cleaned it. Don't worry, though, I kept your secret. Hange-san is too smart to be fooled so easily, but, alas, I did my best.

If you need anything, send a letter immediately. Stay alert and keep your wits about you, Captain.

The others are eagerly waiting for your return. Connie and Sasha are doing their best at keeping the headquarters clean. And Mikasa is doing a great job of taking over your duties and training the recruits. Oh, and Moblit-san sends his regards.

I hope you’re holding on. I’m sure you are.

Best wishes, Armin

With a letter still in his hand, Levi stared at the fire, thinking it all over.

Bringing Historia back could help ease the tensions, or… It could make it all even worse. But the Queen’s influence was undeniable, in that regard, Armin was right. She was probably the only one who could get them out of this mess.

And these damned Marleyan brats… Escaping from the prison was not an easy feat. Marleyans had taught them well, it seemed.

Was Hange involved in their trainings as well?

Whether she was or she was not, Levi didn’t believe she had helped them to escape. What for? If someone finds out where they came from, they’d be killed on sight. Hange would never do something so careless. If she truly cared about these kids, and it seemed like she actually did, she’d bargain with Armin and others, ask them to let the kids stay with her.

In her room. That he had cleaned.

He briefly wondered what Hange reaction had been like. Was she surprised? Confused? Touched?

She was most probably enraged, Levi concluded. Pissed off that all of her things weren’t on their places – Levi made sure they weren’t. Maybe, he was too much of a pitiful idiot to throw her shit out, but he knew the other way to get to Hange.

He used to know so many things about Hange.

There had been a time he thought he knew everything. Now he knew better.

***

"Another letter?"

As soon as the messenger left, Zeke was right beside him, his head raised high, as he attempted to take a peak over Levi's shoulder.

Levi swatted him away, too confused by the letter and the large enough package he had received to answer Zeke with the violence he so rightfully deserved.

"Get lost," he just said, blindly reaching behind him to push Zeke away.

"I don't care what you have there," the beast scoffed, lifting his haughty nose even higher. "I just came to ask if there are any letters for me."

Levi looked up at him in surprise, his lips curling up. Letters for Zeke? The notion was so ridiculous he almost started to laugh.

"Do you seriously think there is someone who would write letters to you? Your dear brother is in prison and he isn't allowed to talk even to his friends, and you expect a letter from him?"

In the face of Levi's open mockery, Zeke's eyes darkened. "Eren is not the only who can write to me. From what I've heard, she's not in prison anymore."

Oh, so he was using that card again? Levi wasn't going to succumb to it. He wasn't. Not again.

Still, his fingers gripped the letter more tightly, as he threw a sizzling gaze at the beast.

But. At least, he didn't hit him. Clearly, a progress.

"She is not allowed to write letters either," he revealed. "And letting Hange reside in her old room wasn't my decision."

"Clearly," Zeke nodded, his lips moving upwards. "If it was up to you, she'd be sleeping in your room, isn’t that right, Captain?"

The letter in his hand crumpled as Levi attempted to take a breath and keep himself from latching on the bastard.

But clearly, Zeke wasn’t finished. Clearly, he wanted more of Levi’s rage.

“And, just so you know,” he lowered his voice, as though he was going to tell him a secret. He crouched down to his level too, his hand next to his ear. Levi was too dazed to push him away. “When Hange cares about someone, she always finds a way.”

“Then where is your letter, Zeke?”

There was a beat of silence, the beast’s mouth falling open as he struggled to find his own words. Fucking finally, he managed to get him back.

Reveling in his small victory, Levi pushed past Zeke, heading to his tent.

There, he lighted the candle and put the package down onto a wooden table, sitting down beside it. Deciding to start with the letter, he opened it in a quick, fluid motion. His chest warmed, as he recognized Moblit’s neat, delicate handwriting. He didn’t even notice it, his thoughts too scattered amidst all this mess, but he missed his friend. More than he thought he would.

Captain!

How are you doing? Hope you’re not picking too many fights with our shifter-ally. Remember, we need him alive - at least, until we feed him to someone else. Although, I’m sure you’re keeping it together. You know just how important this is.

As on our end, things are not going all too well. Truthfully, I don’t know how bad it actually is, I have been out of loop lately, but I trust Commanders Pixis and Dawk and our Armin to get us through this.

There are rumors of the Queen getting back, or so Sasha told me. In my opinion, it’s dangerous to let Historia into the city, but, maybe, it really can help ease the tensions. Maybe, if she advises everyone to calm down, protesters will stop shouting under my window. It’s a good thing you aren’t here, Captain, these protesters – Yeagerists, as they started to call themselves, - are absolutely horrible. They’re loud and rowdy, and, honestly, their demands are making me a bit worried.

Maybe, they’re so bold because you aren’t here. I’m sure one deadly look from you and they’d scatter.

I also miss our evening tea parties, you wouldn’t believe it, I know – but I really do, terribly so. I went to the Niccolo’s place recently, tried a new pastry there, you will absolutely love it. I wanted to send it to you, but I was afraid it won’t be as delicious after a long road.

Now, I think it’s time to get to the thing that interests you the most – the package I sent you. I hope you haven’t opened it yet, so let me explain what it is first. I’ve included a few of my sketches in the second part of the letter, so you can get the overall idea of what it is.

In your absence, I’ve started to visit Sq Hange-san more often (I know what you’d say – we can’t trust her and should be more careful around here, but… we’ve been through much together, even if some part of it was a lie. It’s stronger than me. I’m sure you can understand) and we started working together on something new.

I’m not going to lie, working with her after all these years is still exciting to me. She’s just as brilliant as I remember, perhaps even more so, now that she doesn’t have to hide the whole extent of her knowledge.

She critiqued our performance during the Reid on Liberio. I was offended at first, surely, it wasn’t such a disaster. What we did was disastrous, I can’t and won’t deny it, but how we did it? It really was rather a success? Minimal amount of casualties on our side and another shifter, taken away from Marley…

But Hange-san wasn’t nearly as impressed. She said that we could do so much better, if only we improved our equipment.

Of course, I couldn’t refuse her offer to work together again. So, without further ado, here I present to you, Captain – the new uniform of Survey Corps’ soldier. We used some parts of our old uniform and uniforms of Anti-Personnel Control Squad, so now aiming and recharging the gun is a lot easier and carrying thunder spears is more comfortable too.

We haven’t done enough tests on this one yet, and, as of now, we only have a few models (yours is actually the first one we made), but I do think the modified version should be implemented among our ranks.

I’m eager to hear what you think about it, and I’m even more eager to have you back with us.

I’m not the only one who waits for you to come back. One person in particular is interested in your well-being. She doesn’t actually ask, but she always listens carefully. Turns out, reading Hange-san is as easy as it’s always been.

Waiting to hear from you,

Moblit.

Whenever he was expecting to read in Moblit’s letter, that wasn’t it. He half-expected that the package would contain a new type of tea or a warmer blanket. What he did not expect was a new uniform.

That Moblit created with Hange.

He looked at the pages, attached to the letter. Detailed, realistic looking sketches were undoubtedly made by Moblit’s skilled hand. But the crooked, hurried notes could only be written by her.

Staring at these sketches brought back unwanted memories. Nights, spent in the dimly-lit lab, brown eyes that sparkled with enthusiasm and excitement, burning brighter than the candle beside them, the deep, melodic voice enchanting him with one theory after another.

How calm, how content he had felt during these fleeting moments, during these nights he spent next to Hange.

And now the only emotions these memories brought back were pain and shame. She lied, she betrayed, and yet he still couldn’t let these moments go, still held them inside his heart, in the depth of his soul where no one would see them but him.

She lied, she betrayed, and all these moments were fake, but they still were. They happened, and when they did, they brought him an evanescent happiness.

And he was pathetic enough to still treasure them.

With a deep sigh, Levi put the letter down, reaching over for the package.

He took the wrappings off slowly and carefully, despite his eagerness to know what was inside. He didn’t know who made them, who sew the fabric together. It could very well be Moblit, the man was talented in various areas. It could very well be Hange. Despite her messy appearances, she was good with needle and thread, he had learnt it first-hand, when he got injured during expedition and Hange had sewed the skin of his arm quickly and neatly, her touch surprisingly careful and gentle.

When he was done with the wrapping, he took out what was inside. Black pants, black shirt, it looked so different from the old uniform.

He put it on, meticulously checking that every belt and fasting was in its place, zipped and secured. Finished, he stood before the mirror, turning this and that way.

It wasn’t ugly, Levi was sure it was very efficient and he would test it all by himself, when his squad would go to sleep, but he liked the old one better. He felt more comfortable in it, more like himself. More like a Captain of Survey Corps who fought against bloodthirsty titans. But the weapons this uniform was modified for wasn’t made for defeating titans. It was made for defeating humans.

And he still struggled with accepting that new, simple truth.

He couldn’t deny, though, Moblit was right.

Hange was just as brilliant as they all had remembered.

It made him think – albeit, fleetingly – how far would they go, if they had her with them? How far would she have taken them if she was always on their side?

How happy he would be, if she still had been with him?

Pointless brooding, he decided and started to peel off the uniform.

Its efficiency in fighting other humans was doubtless. That’s why Levi hoped he would never have to use it.

***

“Um, Captain, wait a moment, please…” the messenger frowned, scratching his head in confusion, as he stared at the letter in his hands. “It’s not signed, but maybe I’ve lost something…”

His put his arm inside the back pack, rummaging through it. Levi waited for a second, two, ten, twenty… The messenger was still at it. His patience running low, Levi grabbed the unsigned letter. If it was some soldier’s love letter, he’d get it back. But if that was something important…

He opened the letter.

And had his breath caught in his throat, because that— that crooked, hurried handwriting… He could recognize it anywhere.

“I’ll be in my tent,” he announced, his voice shakier than he was comfortable with.

He all but tumbled inside, leaning against the table to keep himself steady. His eyes ran over the letter, taking it all in.

The message was short, fairly simple. But it raised so many questions, filled him with emotions so raw he could choke on them.

Levi,

Something bad is going to happen. Don’t take your eyes off Zeke. Don’t underestimate him.

Be careful. And, please, come back home safely.

It took him but a moment to read it all. But the few words of the letter kept replaying in his mind over and over, making it impossible to fall asleep. Levi mulled it over again and again, trying to find some sense, trying to understand.

He got his first clue the very next day, when the messenger was back again, sweaty and panting.

Chief Zacklay is dead, he said, murdered inside his own office.

And the look Zeke had given him, the long, intent gaze that didn’t waver as Levi had followed after his soldiers to get more details.

That was his second clue.

[1ddotdhq]

🍿Fri 9 Oct ‘20🃏

Hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha hahahaha. Okay. Am I done? I think I’m done. So, um. What kind of day has it been, guys? 

Let’s start with the...less unusual, and then really get into it. Harry’s team has sent his for your consideration Grammy packet to the music academy, Back To You was certified Platinum in the United States (!!! it’s what she deserves!!), Niall first posted to let us know he was going out and about with his bike, and then, sure enough, was seen out and about in London today with his $7.5K cherry red bike and Navy Blue bike shorts (note: he wasn’t riding his bike - he was walking it), Zayn and Gigi had their first date night ft. pasta [!] at the farm house since the birth of their daughter, and someone from the GBBO baked a Harry Styles cake, but the flavor is still unknown. Niall also took to twitter to tell everyone that the last four years of the Trump presidency feels like an episode of punk’d. 

That’s a GREAT segue into what the rest of the day felt like for me! First, someone noticed that Louis’ (official) website had been changed: the Walls CD was now listed as having 13 tracks instead of 12. Was this? A deluxe version? A new song? A website editor’s mistake? And then, if that wasn’t confusing enough, Louis registered a new song that was co-written with Jamie Hart and credited Noel Gallagher (the exact same people credited on Walls, the song). The song registered was called “Today Show” and that immediately got people wondering if THIS could be the secret 13th song on the album! Alas, it is not. Apparently, it is the registration of the performance of Walls, the song, from the Today Show, which explains the writing credits. It does not explain the secret 13th song, but at this point, the easiest explanation is that a graphic designer made a typo. 

Louis had no comment on the potential new songs, but he DID show up in Liam’s live! Oh my God. Liam’s live. Okay, well. The first thing we should talk about is that he has called his Halloween show his biggest yet, and he has not yet decided on a costume (pls be Harry Potter) but he was open to suggestions: Leroy the Choreographer was a popular one, as was Harry Styles (“which era of Styles, though?”), and even old school Liam himself. We got a reprise of parts of Watermelon Sugar and the “a door”/Adore discourse and even a bit of a live reaction to the song itself, and a confirmation that Liam and Tom are gonna do a duet (“I slithered in” jkfdhfkjda !!!!!). 

Okay, then. That’s about it for the sort of weird news, now let's get into the REALLY ODD things. It started normally enough, with the chat asking Liam what his favorite country was, and he said that his favorite trip was getting to go to Africa with Ant Middleton (the British reality TV adventurer), which he called “eye opening”. He said that the TV special they did together was them talking about their lives, and went on to say, “it was good, it was good, I slept on the floor with loads of animals. It was like being in One Direction!” and cackled (I did too!). “Sorry,” he said, “I HAD TO!”. Uh, no, you didn’t, said Louis, who popped on to tell him to “watch your mouth”. “AYYYY,” said Liam, “Louis’ watching...I bet [he] won’t come on, because [he’s] camera shy!” Dicho y hecho, Louis was like No <3 and DID NOT send a request to join the live. “He makes me feel WARM,” said Liam about Louis. YEAH CUZ  HE’S THE SUN HAVEN’T YOU HEARD???? 

Was it for Lilo?? NO! OF COURSE NOT! In a second live, Liam, about thirteen minutes in, said, “Oh! Hang on! We *really* have to talk about something!”, and started talking about how “the other day” he took Maya (who had been in the fandom before dating him) to see a movie she had been wanting to watch - “After We Collide”. He described the film as “not the sort he’d watch” and “RAUNCHY as hell”, and then! He found out - AFTER (hehe) watching the movie - that the characters were based on One Direction (*giggles loudly* “which I mean was just the FUNNIEST THING EVER”). AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH, Maya then made him watch the FIRST film in the series (“which I kind of sat through”). About the whole thing, he said, “it was...an interesting viewing perspective”. 

Liam liked that his character (Landon, apparently) was a caring half brother who wanted the best for everyone, however, he said, “I feel like, sometimes, I’m a little bit the main guy [YIKES]...Who was obviously based on Mr. Styles”. He then said, with a completely straight face, “I feel like we always have a bit of Hardin Scott in us - that sounds weird”. He said that he really went down the rabbit hole with this one (oof), and realized that Landon’s physical description was “a young David Beckam”, and then he started giggling again. He did manage to stop laughing long enough to 1.) call fanfiction and fan creation “so cool” 2.) confirm that he’s now in it for the long haul and will be watching the third installment of the series and 3.) to tell Louis to watch it! “If Louis is [still] watching,” he said, starting to laugh again, “PLEASE just go and check that out for me. Just please dedicate an hour of your life, and just. Just have a little watch”. Liam’s chaotic energy? UNMATCHED! Honestly, I also want to hear Louis’ thoughts on this movie - I have a feeling they aren’t going to be as diplomatic as Liam’s were.

[soundofseventeen]

Broken Hearted (Yoon Jeonghan)

HELLO ONTO ANOTHER REQUEST I hope you all enjoy it! 💛

Requested by @shra-vasti​

2 - “You made your choice.”

53 - “Are you hurt?” “No.” “Then why are there bruises all over your face?” 

54 - “If you don’t hug me right now, I might fall apart.”

You sat on your bed, hugging your pillow into your chest as tightly as you could. You just wanted your heartbreak to go away, but you sadly knew it wouldn’t go away. At least not today. 

You had recently gotten into a relationship with quite a popular guy at your school. You couldn’t quite believe it when he asked you to go to dinner, thinking it had to be a joke. But he managed to swoon you quickly and sweep you off your feet, much to the displeasure of your friend Jeonghan. You two had a massive argument about it, both saying things you regretted now. You had been swooned enough to stick to your new guy, Jeonghan officially saying the final word and leaving you alone. 

“Fine. You made your choice. Don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart.” 

At the time, you were just so mad at him. What did he know? How on earth could he be such an ass about your first real relationship and do this to you? Your new boyfriend seemed unfazed by this tragic loss in your life, simply saying that now you had more time to be with him. The puppy love in your heart believed him. 

Then you got to this morning, when you wanted to go surprise him after his basketball practice. You had gotten all dressed up, gotten two coffees and treats, and headed to your school to watch the last little bit of practice. You saw the end of practice, getting up to meet your guy, only to watch as he instead walked to another girl in the stands, grinning at her as she cheered for him. You felt your heart drop as you saw them embrace, tossing your treats in the trash as you fled the gym. 

You waited outside the gym for him to come out, only to fully feel your heartbreak as he acted like he didn’t even know you, even calling you some crazy underclassman. That was enough to get you to run away, embarrassed this happened in front of so many people in your class. 

Once you got home, you saw you had a text from him saying no hard feelings, but your relationship was really just to make his ex jealous. Apparently, it had worked better than expected, therefore this little fling you had was over. You angrily deleted his number from your phone, beginning to cry. 

That was a couple hours ago, and you were starting to feel like your tears had run out. Your dad brought you a water bottle and some dinner a while ago, not entirely sure what happened but figured you’d talk it out later. You weren’t sure how to explain that not only had you lost your best friend, but now you lost him over someone who wasn’t actually into you. 

You got up to wash your face, hoping to get some of the stains off. As you walked back into your room, your phone was going off on your floor. Once you picked it up, you raised an eyebrow seeing that Jeonghan was calling you. You let out a sigh, hitting the reject call button. You knew he was just calling to tell you he told you so, and you really weren’t ready to hear that. He was right, but that didn’t mean you wanted to hear it right now. Maybe tomorrow. You curled up on your bed, opening up your computer. It was pretty late, so maybe you could find some drama to help you fall asleep. Watching another romance might make you forget your almost romance. 

Except your phone started to go off again, Jeonghan calling you again. You once again rejected him, hoping this time he would get the message. You picked a drama, started to watch as you settled back in your bed, letting out a groan as your phone went off again. This time, you answered the call. 

“Look, I know what you’re going to say so just-”

“Can you please let me in?” Jeonghan said on the other end, causing you to furrow your eyebrows. You pulled the phone away from your face, confirming it was actually Jeonghan calling you before putting it back to your ear. 

“You know you called Y/N, right?” You asked, confused. He must have meant to call one of his parents. 

“Yes, please come open the door.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Your front door, the thing that keeps people from wandering into your hourse.” He let out a sigh. “Look, I’m outside, I need you to come let me in.” Your eyebrows shot up, causing you to pause your show and sitting up, looking out the window. You didn’t see anyone, but you also couldn’t clearly see your front door. 

“Why are you here?” You asked, sitting back. 

“I uh… I’ll explain once you let me in, okay?!” 

“Why didn’t you just ring the doorbell?” You asked, getting up and pulling a sweatshirt on. You slowly opened your door, walking down the hallway. 

“I didn’t want your parents to see me.” He admitted, you stopping. Your parents loved Jeonghan. Why wouldn’t he want them to see him? I mean, it’s not the first time he showed up late at night, they practically had a bed set ready for him. 

“...Why?” 

“I swear I will explain once you let me in!” He said, you staying frozen for a couple seconds before making your way to the door. You quietly opened it, half expecting this to be some prank. 

But alas, Jeonghan was standing on your doorstep, hood pulled over his head as he hung up his phone. 

“Thanks.” He said quietly, walking into your house. 

“Look, Jeonghan, if you’re here to give me a lecture I’m really not…” You started to quietly say, falling silent as Jeonghan pulled his hood down. A bright, red bruise sat on his cheek, causing your eyes to widen. “What…” 

“Do um… Do you have an ice pack, by any chance?” He asked, smiling a little bit only to wince. 

“Yeah just… Just go up to the bathroom, I’ll be there in a second.” You said, still trying to process that Jeonghan was here in the middle of the night with a giant bruise. He nodded, quietly turning and walking down your hall, leaving you frozen. You quickly shook your head, going to grab the ice pack and heading to the bathroom. 

Jeonghan was leaning on your counter, looking down at his feet. 

“Why did you come here? I thought we weren’t friends anymore.” You muttered, Jeonghan shrugging. 

“You’re always gonna be my friend, Y/N. You know that.” He said, looking back at the mirror. “My mom would have freaked if I went home like this.” 

“And my mom won’t?” You said, Jeonghan shrugging. 

“I weighed my options and I’m a little less scared of your mom. Not much, but a little.” That managed to make you chuckle, Jeonghan looking at you. 

“What happened.” You asked, handing him the ice pack. He nodded at you, taking it and holding it to his face. 

“Nothing.” Jeonghan muttered, causing you to sigh and lean next to him on the counter. 

“Are you hurt?” 

“No.”

“Then why are there bruises all over your face?” You asked, looking at him more now. He had bruises all over, though the one under the ice pack was by far the worst. 

“...I tripped.” When you didn’t respond, Jeonghan looked over at you, seeing you stare at him with an unamused look on your face. “Fine, I might have gotten in a fight.” 

“A FIGHT?” Jeonghan’s eyes widened, a hand going over your mouth. You both listened for a second, not hearing your parents waking up. “Who did you get into a fight with?” You asked, moving Jeonghan’s hand. 

“That’s not important.” He said, looking away from you. 

“Jeonghan-”

“Y/N, it’s not important who it was, it’s over now.” He sighed, adjusting the ice pack. You looked at him for a second longer before looking away yourself, letting out a sigh. 

“You were right.” You admitted, Jeonghan glancing at you. 

“About what?” 

“My uh… He was just using me.” You sighed, Jeonghan nodding. 

“I heard.” He muttered, both of you looking at each other. “Hoshi and Mingyu came by the store after practice. Told me everything.” He said, you nodding. You forgot Mingyu was on the team and that Hoshi would have been there today for support. You completely blocked out that you saw them this morning before practice.

“Oh.” You said in a small voice, Jeonghan lowering his ice pack and letting out a sigh. 

“Y/N, you don’t deserve this. He wasn’t even close to deserving you. You shouldn’t even be giving the guy a second thought. He’s an ass and-”

“And he’s the first guy that showed actual interest in me.” You said, wiping your eye. “And that was all fake.” 

“Look, eventually some guy, once he proves himself worthy of course, is going to fall so ridiculously in love with you that you’re not even going to begin to remember what this feels like. Someone who is going to treat you so well, that you will only know what it feels like to be happy, okay?” 

“Sure.” You said, Jeonghan sighing. 

“Okay, come here.” You looked at him again. “Give me a hug.” 

“I don’t want a hug Jeonghan.” 

“Who said it’s for you?” He said, looking at you offended. “I’m the physically injured one here. Who knows, if you don’t hug me right now, I might fall apart.” He pouted at you, making you chuckle a bit. “Come on, don’t let me fall apart.” He reached up and put a hand on your shoulder, pulling you into his side. 

“You’re a baby, you know that.” You said as he winced when you put an arm around his back. “Does that hurt?” 

“No, no. It’s fine.” He said, letting out a breath. “Y/N, you know that I’m always here for you, right? Even when we’re fighting, you can come to me. With anything.” 

“I know. Thank you.” You said, looking up as he put the ice pack back on his face. “So who did you fight?” 

“You don’t need to know.” 

“Was it someone we go to school with?” 

“You don’t need to know.” 

“You know if it was someone at school, I’ll know on Monday.” You said, Jeonghan thinking for a minute. 

“Then you’ll know on Monday.” He grinned, squeezing your arm a bit. 

“Fine.” You said, blinking a bit. “Do you want to stay tonight? I can get your stuff.” 

“Yeah, I already told my mom I was staying at Cheol’s… So…” He chuckled. 

“My parents are going to flip out when they see you tomorrow morning.” 

“So we better get some sleep so we’re ready for it.” He grinned, resting his cheek on your head. “You’re gonna be okay, Y/N. I promise.” You let out a sigh, nodding your head. 

“I know. I have you, don’t I?” You said, smiling at each other for a minute before nodding, leaving the bathroom. 

“Yeah, you do.”

[funtimefishy]

Beyond the Gate ~ PT.1

request: none!!

word count: 1192

warnings: no warnings that i can think of

canonical inconsistencies: i’m not too sure if a Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza would still be standing 30/40 years later, but thats not really canonical, is it?

A/N: hi again! ive been working on this for a couple of days and i kinda like it tbh. its definitely better than some of my... OTHER posts (ahem.. As Time Ticked On). i think you might like this one if you’re always looking for action/exciting things to do. enjoy!!

extra: gender neutral reader :) this fic was created with a younger reader in mind (12-16), but it works with people of all ages.  THIS IS NOT A ROMANTIC FNAF X READER POST!! part 2 coming... whenever

“Are you sure we should do this?” Finn asked, glancing at the exterior of the abandoned building. “I mean, what are we getting out of this? Juvenile detention?”

“Come on, Finn,” You said, eagerly. “Take your nose out of a book sometimes and have some fun.” 

“I have fun reading.” Finn proudly said.

“Some real fun.” You corrected yourself, scoffing as you stared up at the rain pouring down. “Let’s hurry up and go inside. It’s not getting any drier out here.” You began walking through the tall grass and plants that spread like an infection as the building grew older. The wet grass beneath you squished and squelched as you walked through.

“I don’t know, Y/N,” Finn said. “We’re trespassing. Illegally trespassing.”

“Okay?” You asked. “It’s not illegal if we don’t get caught, and we won’t.”

“And if we do?” Finn affirmed. You stopped walking and spun around, facing Finn, who still hasn’t stepped an inch closer. 

“We say we’re on a school field trip and got lost. Simple.” You grinned. “Now, come on.” You continued walking towards the building, and Finn finally decided to follow.

“A school field trip on a Sunday?” Finn snickered. “I can’t wait to explain that to the cops.” 

“Okay, Mr. Unhappy.” You said, pausing in your tracks once more. Finn also stopped walking. “If you don’t wanna do this, you can happily turn around and ride your bike back to my house. I’ll meet you there in an hour. Now, are you in or out?” 

Finn looked away from you, aiming his eyes towards the ground. He sighed. “I’m in.” 

“Good!” You grinned, patting Finn on his shoulder. “Let’s go.” You both continued your slow walk through the overgrown and thick nature. 

“What do you expect to find here?” Finn asked. “The place has probably been picked clean by robbers or graffiti artists.” 

“You think I’m here to steal?” You replied. “Nah, I plan to just look around and maybe pick at something that catches my eye. This place is, like, historic!”

“How?”

“You don’t know where we are?” You questioned. “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza? That name doesn’t found familiar to you?”

“Nope, doesn’t ring a bell.” 

“Well, years ago, like, 30 or 40, this place used to be really popular. Your grandma probably came here!” You explained. “Then, out of nowhere, it just, like, shut down randomly, and no one ever knew why.” 

“Well, there has to be a reason it shut down, right?” Finn was loaded with questions today, but it took you by no surprise.

“Well,” You started. “I spent about five minutes of research on this place and there are two possibilities. One, the company was hiding information from the public until the commotion died down, or two, what I think happened, it shut down for no reason.”

“Five whole minutes of research!? Wow, you’re really good at this!” Finn sarcastically laughed.

“You flatter me.” You smiled. The rain got heavier (as the forecast predicted), and you noticed a flash of light in the sky, followed by a loud crash. Finn jumped, startled by the thunder. “You don’t wanna be struck by lightning? Then let’s go inside.”

“Or we can just turn back and go back to your house, which is probably a much safer bet,” Finn replied. “I’m no expert, but you’ll probably be far better protected in an actual sturdy home than some rust bucket.”

“I told you, you’re more than welcome to turn back.” You reminded Finn. “And this isn’t a rust bucket.” You and Finn stopped walked as you reached the building’s double doors; the front doors. “This is history. You love history!” 

The doors appeared to once be red, but years of decay and withering made them faded and scratched, leaving behind a pale pinkish color. You reached out your hand and gripped the metal doorknob, twisting it and pulling outward. Instead of the door swinging open, the door jolted and buckled as you yanked on the doorknob.

“This is a sign we should leave,” Finn muttered under his breath. 

“Shut up and help me.” You replied. You continued pulling the doorknob as Finn walked up next to you. “You grab one, I’ll grab the other, okay?” 

Finn twisted the doorknob of the other door and began pulling too, yet neither of you could get the doors open. 

“We’ll find a way in through the back.” You uttered. “I’m sure there’s a backdoor or something.” 

“Is this really worth it?” Finn complained once more. “Seriously, I mean, there’s probably nothing to look at in here.”

“Probably,” You said, turning to the right of the front doors and walking along the side of the building. Finn hesitated for a bit, then growled as he followed you through the heavy rain. “But that’s why we have to see.” 

“We have to or we want to? By ‘we’, I only mean ‘you’.” You both turned the corner of the building and continued walking. 

“I want to.” You nearly tripped on a stick on the ground, catching yourself before you fell face-flat on the grass. You pretended it didn’t happen. “Come on, Finn. How often do we get to hang out, just me and you?” Lightning flashed in the sky again, followed by another boom. Finn shivered.

“Last time we hung out, it ended in two broken tables, a shattered window, and an awkward trip to the emergency room,” Finn assured you. “I still have that scar-”

You stopped walking abruptly and Finn did the same, stopping in the middle of his sentence. “Look! An entrance!”

“Where?” Finn asked, staring at the outer wall of the building, the same wall you were looking at. 

“Right here, Finn!” You walked up to the wall and lifted a bunch of vines that hid a small hole from view. Alas, you were right. There was an entrance to the inside of Freddy’s. You were surprised you noticed it. It was at the bottom of the wall, allowing tall grass and all different kinds of nature to unintentionally hide it, but also making entry much easier. 

“That isn’t the most ideal entrance, don’t you think?” Finn mentioned. “Can’t we look for a backdoor, you know, a real entrance?”

“You can look for one if you want to, but I’m going in through here.” You said, determined to find something; anything inside the old pizzeria. There was something here. You knew it. There had to be.

You dropped to all fours, looking through the hole in the wall. It was dark inside except for the streaks of light that came in through holes in the roof, allowing other things like rain and vines to seep in. You didn’t mind the mud and grass stains getting in your jeans as you began crawling through the small hole, just big enough for a human to crawl through. How convenient.

“Y/N,” Finn nervously babbled. “This isn’t allowed. We’re on private property.” Once you were through the hole, you rose to your feet and glanced at your surroundings. You nearly screamed but quickly stopped yourself. You should have screamed.

“Finn,” You gasped. “You have to come see this.”

[margridarnauds]

Wishlist for AC: Wrath of the Druids

Because my field is literally only relevant ONCE in a blue moon and I’m making the most of it. 

Look, I’d pretend that this is going to be some sort of profound meditation on Irish Mythology, the nature of medieval literature, etc. But no. Here is the list that, after 9 years of studying these texts, 15 months of which have been in an intensive MA program in Ireland, I have come up with as far as “Members of the Tuatha Dé Who Are The Most Slappable.” I’ve also tried to go with the high profile members, since, if Curse of the Pharaohs and Atlantis were any indication, we’re primarily getting the high rollers here.  (I would like to make it very clear that I say this with the utmost of affection - I would not have studied these guys for 9 years if I actually HATED them.) 

First off, I’m ready and willing to bet money that the Tuatha Dé are going to be controlled by the members of this druid cult mentioned in the adverts, not unlike what we saw in Curse of the Pharaohs. I suspect that the cult will get ahold of an apple of Eden and summon up images of the Tuatha Dé to be a part of their wicked, wicked schemes. A part of me WOULD like for something different, but...well. It’s a proven formula, and why mess with success? 

Lugh. One of the most easily recognizable members of the Tuatha Dé, and SUPER slappable. Would make an EXCELLENT final boss, and would guarantee that I would buy it. Like. It is literally impossible to overstate exactly how much I would be willing to buy this game just for the chance to bitchslap Lugh. 

The Dagda. Another HIGHLY recognizable member. Not as imminently slappable as Lugh, but a massive thot, and, let’s be real, who DOESN’T want to slutshame the Dagda, at least a little? Albeit this time with. A sword. Also has a SICK staff that can bring people to life/kill them, depending on which side he uses, and canonically has a zombie xylophone. Would make a FANTASTIC boss.

Lugh. 

The Morrigan. Look. I don’t WANT to fight the Morrigan, not really. Honestly, of all the Tuatha Dé, I have the most personal respect for her, because she’s very honest about doing her own thing, but do I really think that Ubisoft would pass up the chance for a bloodthirsty raven lady? No I do not. And, tbh, it would be kind of sick. 

Lugh. 

Cú Chulainn. Is Cú Chulainn one of the Tuatha Dé? No, he isn’t. Is there a hint that he’s anything BUT mortal? Not....really, despite some speculation that he might have been x god or y god, he fits fairly firmly into the demigod mold. That being said....(1) I WOULD like to fight Cú Chulainn, on a personal level (#JusticeForAífe) and (2) .....Look, can you imagine fighting against the warp spasm? Yeah. Yeah. Also, given they made you fight King Tut in the Curse of the Pharaohs DLC, it’s obvious that they’re going off of name recognition more than accuracy, and CC IS easily the most recognizable figure from medieval Irish literature. (Bonus: Fighting CC and getting the Gáe Bulg as a reward?)

Lugh. As Cú Chulainn’s father, it’s only appropriate to get the family combo here. 

Midir. Do I think that they WOULD use Midir? No. He’s a little too specialized, even though Tochmarc Étaíne is, arguably, the single most popular of the Mythological Cycle texts. And he is oh so very slappable. That, and he does have a history of fucking with mortals, so he could be a REALLY fun fight. If I was designing the game, I would have him and Óengus in a tag team duo, and there would be horse urine involved. (This is why I do not work at Ubisoft.) 

Lugh. 

If Midir is too specialized, Bres is REALLY too specialized, along with the fact that, if you bring Bres in, you HAVE to bring the Fomoire in. But also. I’ve got to request my boy. He would be so much FUN. But. Unlikely. He tends towards the obscure side, though, and even when people remember he exists, it tends to be in a very small role. I would put more money on Balor being in, because he’s kind of the breakout star of Cath Maige Tuired (and the folklore around it), but I really want Bres.

Lugh.  

Dían Cecht. Grumpiest. Doctor. Ever. And you could do a lot with his whole. “Killing his son”. Thing. 

Lugh. 

Aillén. A little on the obscure side, but imagine. Fighting a member of the Tuatha Dé who breathes fire. Talk about a BADASS boss fight. Also getting to walk in the footsteps of Fionn mac Cumhaill, aka one of the greatest of Ireland’s heroes. It would be a very tempting prospect. 

Lugh.

....look. I want to emphasize this: I do NOT want to slap Bríg. Bríg is quite possibly the purest of the TDD, and that’s because we know next to nothing about her. But also...she IS really high profile, and I could see her acting as a sort of guide or counsellor ala Aletheia. AKA “One of the few sane Isu hanging around.” You could go some really interesting routes there, IF you wanted to. I’m not sure they’d be willing to, but I would personally like it. 

The Otherworld as a location you can visit, like Asgard or the Duat. Bonus if it highlights how reality twists and bends in the Otherworld, because some of the leading scholarship on it at the moment says that the place, as it was understood in medieval Ireland, was batshit insane, and I would LOVE to see them taking it on in a game. Bonus for also bringing in Sidhe mounds. 

Also. I want to fight Lugh. 

Danu - Look. I don’t want to fight Danu. Mainly because Danu, as a figure, doesn’t really EXIST in the myths, as such. The general consensus of the field, at this point, is that the original name for the TDD was....Tuatha Dé, which you’ll note is the term I use. It gets complicated when the name does gain traction, and the question as far as how old some of this goes back is long and extensive and not something I want to tackle at an ungodly hour of the evening, but. I don’t WANT her to be here when there are so many other figures who actually have a presence. But. Well. The cult’s name is “Children of Danu”, so a bitch has got to accept it’s likely. But I’m still putting her at the bottom because I don’t like it. 

For what it’s worth, my final guesses are locked in at Lugh, the Dagda, the Morrigan, and finding some way to bring Cú Chulainn in. Nuada might make for a dark horse option, though....I hate to say this, Nuada doesn’t really have the PERSONALITY to really function as a boss on his own. They could try, but I feel like they’d have to either expand quite a bit or riff off of his Early Modern portrayal as a bitter, jealous king, and...I still don’t trust them to have done the research for that. (I’m sorry, but after the Mari Lwyd, they will have to go a LONG way to earn my trust, especially with my baby.) Danu is...likely, but I won’t be happy if she is, even though it won’t make or break my decision. I feel like the Otherworld has GOT to be a lock, but I’m ready and willing to be disappointed. Also, despite this being based allegedly on the Mythological Cycle materials, I would be VERY surprised if they didn’t bring in later folklore like the banshees, because, let’s be real, why wouldn’t they? 

[minaxmoon]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, [MINA MOON]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [BAE SUZY]. You must be the [TWENTY-FOUR] year old [ATTENDANT AT TIDAL WAVE MUSIC SHOP]. Word is you’re [CREATIVE] but can also be a bit [IMPATIENT] and your favorite song is [SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW BY KEANE]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

Basics:

Full name: Mina Moon

Nickname: M

Age: 24

Birthdate: February 11th, 1999

Sun,Moon,Rising: Pisces, Taurus, Pisces

Hometown: Aurora Bay

Job: Attendant at Tidal Wave Music Shop

Been in Aurora Bay: 24 years (left for 2 years, has been back for 1 year)

Bio:

Mina is the middle child and only daughter of Dae and Hana Moon. Her parents immigrated from Seoul to Aurora Bay years before she was conceived with her paternal grandmother following along.

Her father works as a financial advisor, while her mother is homemaker. Mina's mother was a social butterfly and from the moment she stepped foot into Aurora Bay, she opened up their house. Her house was the fun house. Karaoke and game night were a staple of the weekends.

While her household was social, Mina remained more on the quiet side. Her favorite pastimes were playing dolls, reading, writing and playing the piano. Much of those hobbies are still the same in her life, but she swapped the dolls for the sims franchise.

Despite her quiet nature, it was always easy for Mina to make and keep friends, just like all of the Moon family.

Mina always felt a sense of overprotection from her family, being that she was the only girl. Her father guarded her way too much, while her mother had high expectations of their gifted daughter. All of that has caused her to become a perpetual people-pleaser with a tendency to have no boundaries and lack of being able to say 'no'.

Wanting to make her parents happy, at their request, she stayed in Aurora Bay after high school and attended the local college gaining a degree in accounting. Something that she thought was soul sucking for her creative side but practical from a financial side.

Upon graduating, she was offered a job in Chicago and gladly took it to get away from the limitations she felt her parents put on her.

It was in Chicago that she realized her degree would go to waste because there was no way she could continue being an accountant. She lasted in her job for a year, before quitting and taking a job as a barista. It was a small little coffee shop that had open mic nights, which sparked Mina's love for music again.

With her cheap keyboard, Mina began writing her own songs and composing her own music. Sometimes even playing at the coffee shop that she worked at. She continued this for a year.

Alas, the rent was too damn high and Mina had no other choice but to return to Aurora Bay. Luckily for her, Mina didn't have an onslaught of questions from her parents because they had moved to Texas a few months before she came back. She never told them that she quit her job long ago and lies even until this day, telling them that she was laid off due to budget cuts.

She lives in her childhood home with her grandmother. Her grandmother has made it a point not to hassle Mina as she figures out what she wants in life.

She's in a transitional period and completely at a lost for what her goals are and what comes next.

Headcanons:

Mina has an extreme sweet tooth. Catch at the bakery at least three times a week.

Mina has at least six songs that she has wrote and amatuerly recorded but refuses to let anyone but close friends listen to them.

She travels outside of Aurora Bay and to major cities every other weekend to play at bars and sing covers of popular songs.

Mina has a black cat named Severus and a pug named Daenerys.

Despite her lying to her parents about her life direction, Mina is extremely close to her family. She has an older brother(wanted connection) still living in town that she sees frequently.

Important Relationships:

Family; Parents: Dae and Hana Moon, Siblings: Ewan Moon (26), Jaeson Moon (19), Grandmother: Da-Eun Moon

Platonic; Plots wanted: Childhood friends, family friends, work buddies, college friends, sibling-like relationships.

Romantic; Plots wanted: First love, unrequited crush. Mina has only had one relationship in her life. So that person would remain very special to her.

[what-breaks-my-heart]

Miss Monte-Cristo: Thoughts after 89 Episodes

Well. The evil witches have shown their true colours again. Worse, they have now joined hands with the evil witch. From the preview for episode 90, it seems that Great Chairman is also trying to cover up what her son had just done - getting rid of Hwang Ji Na. I had high hopes for Great Chairman to out of this entire fiasco as a good character but alas, as someone pointed out to me when Eun Jo was just starting to torture the evil witches, it’s highly likely that so much ‘blood’ would be shed by the end of this drama. So much so that nobody would be left unharmed. If you are reading this, I didn’t tag you to avoid from spoiling the drama

With Eun Jo now losing much of her power and support, and yet another traumatic event for her, losing someone she’s treated like her own mother, the evil witches are going to have a field day celebrating their ‘victory’ this time around. I’m sure they are going to bring more destruction along their path. Eun Jo, Sun Hyuk, and Ha Joon are definitely going to be affected.

With only 9 episodes left (episode 91 just aired today), the evil witches are going to take one step further in removing anyone who come along their way. If there are 20 episodes left, I could predict that the gang is going to fall one by one, but at this rate, the most likely turn of event is EVERYONE falling apart in the final 2 episodes.

Which means that a massive wrecking ball is going to come crushing the evil doers. In order to do that, Eun Jo would need to be ‘reborn’ as a revenge incarnate again, only this time her sword of revenge is going to be much sharper, for she has even more motivation for revenge now. If she had endured 5 years to avenge Star and her father, this time, her revenge is also for Hwang Ji Na and all other people who had been hurt by the evil doers for the past 5 years.

Ju Se Rin stole Eun Jo’s portfolio yet again, so it’s only a matter of time before she figures out that her lifeline has been Eun Jo all along. It would be interesting to see how Se Rin would react, because Eun Jo’s safety is for her own good too, otherwise Eun Hwa and Ha Ra would get rid of her too. Although Se Rin always tries to scam people (it really runs in the family huh) so I’m not going to be surprised if she would try to get rid of Eun Jo and pretends that DDM Queen still has the recording.

Duk Kyu has not appeared much in the last couple of weeks so I hope he would make a comeback to execute the final step of his revenge against Ju Tae Shik. He could be yet another victim in this entire fiasco but I really hope he could live and finally heal from his wound, together with his noona, Eun Jo.

I worry for Ha Joon because he is now the ONLY person in the household who has remained a good character, despite his deal with Hwang Ji Na and Eun Jo separately. I’ve been getting Cha Seo Joon (from Man in a Veil) vibe from Ha Joon since the very beginning (I’m still traumatised by that) and I sincerely pray he doesn’t end up the same way Seo Joon did. He’s the only one who can heal Jewang Group inside out, but what is revenge if the whole city is not burnt to ashes. Ha Joon, please make it out of this alive.

Hwang Ji Na, in her dying breath, asked Eun Jo to not live pursuing revenge like she did and hold tight onto her precious people. We know Oh Byung Guk won’t get into prison with his connections, so I’m not sure choosing to pursue legal repercussions like Ha Joon and Sun Hyuk have ben suggesting is a wise idea. But using legal approach to throw the evil doers into the prison would put an end on the cycle of revenge, and it’s in sync with Ji Na’s final request from Eun Jo.

I hope this drama is wrapped well. I know once Miss Monte-Cristo ends, I would feel a huge void in my chest, as I’ve been feeling since Man in a Veil ended (it’s been 9 weeks since the former replaced the latter in the same time slot but I’m still broken). Daily drama is not popular on Tumblr, especially Miss Monte-Cristo being a revenge makjang itself. But I would continue to keep it in a special place in my heart.

[luthied]

Secret Family Recipe #2

Potatoes and Dumplings!

    4 Potatoes, peeled and cut up 

    10-12 Slices of Bacon

    2 Cups Flour

    3-4 Eggs

   Cold Water

   1 Onion

1. Put potatoes in a soup kettle filled with salted water, boil for 15 min.

2. Mix 1 egg, flour, and water enough to make dough. Spoon into boiling water, dipping spoon into water first so that dough wont stick. Boil for 15 minutes.

3. Cut up onion and bacon and fry together in a skillet. Drain grease but leave about 1 tbsp in pan.

4. Drain potatoes and dumplings, and add bacon and onions. Mix in 2-3 raw eggs while it is still VERY hot.

That is the original recipe. Which I cannot eat anymore cause I can’t eat fatty foods and bacon tends to kill me. I still have some tips and tricks to make your own potatoes and dumplings!

First of all, that dough consistency they mentioned? Think the dough from the dumpling soup I posted about before, enough to have a sticky dough but not enough to stick to the dough too much. 

Second, prep everything before you cook! You need that residual heat to fully cook the eggs. You will not have scrambled eggs, but instead a nice gooey sauce like consistency around your dumplings. It will act as a sort of glue.

Third. Ingredients. My parents tended to use sweet yellow onions and russet potatoes, though I preferred a mix of red onions and red potatoes. Red potatoes gave it a smoother texture in the end and red onions gave it a bit more flavor. Also if you can, get good quality bacon since that is a very big component in your overall flavor. 

We usually would have polish sausage and mustard with it, cause we didn’t have enough meat with it. 

This is a recipe that we would break out maybe once or twice a year. More likely to have it once a year, to be be honest. Mom would always burn the bacon and onions, but it was still one of my favorites. I often requested it for my special birthday dinner, and would carefully consume it over a week storing it in that same tupperware container we would use to store the dumpling soup. I am now realizing that dumpling consistency is evidently popular in my families cooking. Good to know.

I do wish I could make this again, to give you all pictures and to enjoy a childhood treat. Alas all I can do is share it with you lovely people. Go Out! Make this treat! Enjoy Yourself!