#torch of friendship

[eklaysea]

Another from my Father Jean Juste protest shoot in Downtown Miami. Jean Juste was, at that time, jailed in Haiti by a tyrant at the helm. One thing I learned about the Haitian people is they have determination far beyond the average Millenial (us old farts too!)

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[the-spideytorch-fanboy]

Johnny: Will you date me forever?

Peter: Yeah. I'm too lazy to find a new boyfriend.

[jollyparaphernalia]

RUN PYRO, RUN!!! If you escape the lobby with their hat, you can keep it!

[artbysarf]

My take on the whole "That Magic Was Not Yours to Give" trend

[rogueslove]

Uncanny Avengers #26

[theshadowrealmitself]

a lot of the time it sort of seems like most of the fandom likes peter with other superheroes so his supporting cast is mostly window dressing.

Is this an mcu fandom thing? I’ve read a lot of shipping fics with Spidey and with him x other heroes you can tell a bit when the author is more familiar with one hero over the other, like sometimes with spideytorch fics it’ll get into a lot of Johnny’s exes and villains and stuff like Lyja and Crystal and Namor and MJ will only be touched on without mentioning Gwen or Felicia, but then other times the author will focus on all the people Peter knows and MJ will usually even be an actual character in the fic while Doom and generic aliens and vaguely just “supermodel exes” get mentioned for Johnny

I should also state I usually read fics where the relationship is developing rather than established and it’s the main point of the fic, and when the romance is the focal point, it makes sense to me that other characters and stuff will fall to the wayside (now, if it was just generically a Peter fic, and all his peeps were barely even mentioned, that’d piss me off, you can’t downplay the significance of Harry and MJ and all them in his life), but I wouldn’t really think of them as window dressing, they’re just secondary characters in a romance fic

But we could be reading v different types of fics where they aren’t treating his supporting cast v well at all, I do filter out a lot

And I suspect it’s mcu stuff, only because I know that sadly enough there’s fics in that fandom that don’t just write out aunt may but will even villainize her (and not even in a fun “what if this character was a villain” way), so I could see that section writing out MJ and Ned

[bonefall]

considering spiderleg is like *that* and squirelflight being diehard fire alone i cant imagine them being friends in BB like they were sort of in the canon books. were they or did it disolve after time passed and spiderleg got more into traditional/thistle law. also who were her other friends? i saw daisy was in another ask but who else (really eager to know who booed at mousefur and thronclaw lol)

So to begin with, Squirrelflight is in an odd place, generation-wise. She is born while Firestar is on his quest with Brokenstar, and grows up in a period of peace and prosperity.

Unfortunately she keeps failing her goddamn assessments

So while Leafstripe is a fully trained Cleric, Sorreltail recovered from being hit by a car and graduated, and Ashfur tried to hold out for her for a while before moving up, Squirrelpaw is here absolutely eating leaf litter with her wrecklessness

Goldenflower, her mentor, even tries to tell Firestar that she's not being vindictive, just in case he got the wrong idea. He assures her that, no. No he understands <:/

So Spider, Shrew, and Squirrel end up as apprentices together. There was a time where they were really close, getting in trouble in spite of their three strict mentors. Bad influence trio, all of them coming from respected parents and doing their best to embarass them.

That only started to change when Squirrelpaw went on the Great Journey, but then returned just in time to see Shrewpaw die. A lot of things were different, now. Squirrelpaw came back exalted for being on a holy quest. Spiderpaw had watched a lot of his clanmates die. She was spending more time with Brambleclaw; he had become very protective of his little brother, Birchkit.

They had both grown in a flash. Hard times will do that to you.

During the Great Journey, Spiderpaw was really close to the other Clan apprentices while Squirrelpaw hung out with the Sundrown Patrol. Spider looks back at this time in his life with a lurch in his stomach that he can't put into words.

He was there when Paw Soup was made. Talonclaw and Smokefall were friends of his even more than they were friends of little Birchkit. Spiderleg just left it behind when they got to the Lake, where his little brother never could. Clan loyalty, strength, honor... all that. He felt like he had to make a choice.

As a person, Spiderleg is torn in many directions by all of the things that happened to him. His head-of-construction father, his educator mother, his friend who won status by breaking the rules, three dead siblings before his warriorhood, the destruction of his ancestral home, the journey that challenged everything, his mentor Thornclaw, the backfired meeting, ardor for Daisy, crashing down with unwanted kits...

His consistent trait is that he's easily swept up in whatever fills him with the most passion, tossing himself into things until a bubbling sense of disgust makes him break it off. Regardless of if it was the good thing to do or not.

Religious euphoria and self-flagellation just seems to stabilize that impulse, for him.

The last time he was friends with Squilf was during their vigil upon reaching the Lake. They did it together, because they were both long overdue. He thought about Shrewpaw, and wondered if she did too.

But neither one of them broke the silence between them. They still haven't.

[aktrya]

Letting myself be 12 years old and drawing edgy fungal Chrysalis the way I saw her all those years ago. Also kind of refreshed by recent mlp apocalypse AUs.

[imperiuswrecked]

in your heart, who is namor's bestest friend on land?

In my heart I know it's Jim Hammond, and I say this based on the fact that I really think they have a true friendship. It's not one that is based on them being happy and nice to each other all the time. Jim and Namor can get mean with each other, but also I feel they understand each other in a way that not many others can. They also go long periods without seeing or speaking to each other but once they meet up again it's like all those years just fall away and they pick up right where they left off.

Jim and Namor began as enemies, and over time they slowly became friends, to the point where Namor constantly says that Jim is the only man he trusts, or respects, or knows that Jim will be there if he calls, and Namor wants Jim to be well.

This is one of my favorite moments because Namor and Jim have fought side by side and back to back for years so when Namor calls out for him, Jim already knows what Namor is asking and reassures him that he's fine.

I always found it amusing that in TV Tropes they are listed as "Heterosexual Life-Partners"

Jim and Namor just spending time with each other means so much to me!

I mean the fact they both want each other to be happy and well and are relieved when the other smiles? They care for each other a lot.

I'm not joking when I say that Jim is the only character that Namor is more himself with than any other character. Also the fact they are both long lived "immortal" in a way means they know that whenever everyone else dies they will still have each other.

[eklaysea]

Unfortunately, Israel has dealt with neighbors who are fixated on their destruction many times. Shot in July 2006.

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All posts have 2 Downloads—JPEG only or a Zip with the JPEG & RAW file—except for Panoramas which only contain zips of the full-size JPEG.

This work and the other 870+ works on my site are Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY)

[the-spideytorch-fanboy]

Peter: I like a man who's ambitious.

Johnny: I'm going to fight the moon

Peter: Professionally ambitious.

Johnny: I'm going to fight the moon for money.

[musewrangler]

And Fox knew what he was about to suggest would be shot down, but he had to say it anyway. Get it out as an option.

“Then the contingency plan seems fairly obvious to me,” he said, keeping his voice detached and steady.

Veers raised an eyebrow at him. “Does it?” he asked dryly.

“Yes, sir. If we know we’re not going to make it out of this, we need to send someone back with the evidence of what has happened here. And given your value to the New Republic, as well as the Admiral and, of course, the Princess, I think you all need to be prepared to leave the fleet. Solo can take you in his…vessel.”

“You don’t think the Ugrisians will want to take prisoners?” Wolffe asked him.

“I think the more salient issue is that Admiral Piett will not wish to surrender to them, vod,” he replied.

“Piett would surrender to avoid the slaughter of thousands,” Veers mused, moving to the caf dispenser and ordering himself black no sugar. “The thing is—-” he sipped and grimaced. “----the thing is, we are fully aware that we are currently the only force between the Cavslans and genocide. Even if they spare us—take us prisoner—-we will see this planet devastated.”

Veers met Fox’s eyes directly.

“And the Admiral will not be persuaded to leave them to it.”

Fox didn’t flinch. He had to make the case just so they were all abundantly clear.

“Then you leave us to it, as I said, General. The senior officers are invaluable to the New Republic. As your security lead, I must urge you to this course of action.”

[pardonmydelays]

poppy……. guess what day it is………….. have you got your dancing shoes and paint ready??

AAAAAAAAAAAA i am working today and i don't have my paint with me BUT! i do, in fact, have pink and blue tape (please don't ask). i am also wearing blue sweater today + i have pink headphones (and pink umbrella with me), does it count?

[onebadpunspoilsabunch]

On the topic on season 8 of mlp, I had a problem with the inconsistent way dragons were portrayed in season 8. It really confused me, since there were a lot of conflicting stuff being said by Smolder about how dragons treat their kids.

Oh, yeah! Right on! You're so right.

In the Molt Down Smolder told Spike that during the molt, dragon parents abandon their kids to fend for themselves against giant predators:

Spike: No-no-no-no-no. The last time I grew up, I turned into a giant greedy monster.

Smolder: Greed-induced bigness. That's totally different. The molt is completely normal. Every dragon goes through it. Pretty soon, you'll leave and strike out on your own.

Spike: Why would I do that?

Smolder: Have you been living with ponies your whole life?

Spike: Uh-huh.

Smolder: Oh. Well, in the Dragon Lands, a molter's loved ones kicks them out at the first stone scale.

Spike: What? Why?

Smolder: I think it's biological. We call it the "molt effect". I haven't even told you about the smell.

Spike: So no creature's gonna wanna be around me?

Smolder: Oh, I didn't say that. That molt stench is a magnet for predators. Tatzlwurms, hydras, rocs...

Spike: Dragons are scared of rocks?

Smolder: R-O-C-S. Rocs? Humongous birds of prey that can snack on a molting dragon like candy!

Spike: So Twilight's kicking me out, and the only creatures who don't find me disgusting want to eat me?

But in Father Knows Beast, Smolder tells Spike that dragon parents take time to teach their kids how to fly after they sprout wings:

Spike: Wow! Thank you so much! How did you know I just needed to bend my wings?

Smolder: Honestly, this is Dragon 101. Usually dragon parents teach this stuff.

So Dragon parents kick their kids out and don't care if their children are killed during puberty, but if they somehow survive through puberty then they take their kids back in just to teach them how to fly? Or was Smolder just lying to Spike?

In Father Knows Beast after Spike tells Smolder about Sludge:

Smolder: So, Sludge just lays around while you wait on him claw and tail? Uh, dragons are rude and rebellious, but they aren't lazy lumps who take advantage of their kids.

Spike: Huh. Now I'm really confused.

Then when Sludge reveals he lied about being Spike's dad in order to live in the Castle, Smolder berates him for it:

Sludge: Stop! I'm not your father!

Spike: What?

Sludge: I just said that to get in on this sweet castle life.

Spike: So... you... pretended to be my dad?

Sludge: Now-now-now-now-now, don't look at me like that, kid. I did what any dragon would do.

Smolder: No. You didn't.

Sludge: Hey. I saw an opportunity, and I took it. That's what dragons do.

Smolder: No. It isn't.

But in a previous episode, Smolder tells the Feast of Fire story that won the dragon contest, the story about Scales overthrowing the nice Dragon Lord:

Smolder: [narrating] Scales sat with the Dragon Lord's family and friends and had the biggest, best dinner of gemstones she'd ever eaten! Then, while the dragons were telling stories, Scales thought it would be so easy to seize power from this feeble and sensitive Dragon Lord. She saw her chance... and took it! [flames bursting]

Smolder: [narrating] She claimed the Bloodstone Scepter and took over the Dragon Lands! [as Scales, evil laughter] And forced the Dragon Lord to live out in the cold, just as she used to!

Ocellus: That's a horrible story!

Smolder: Maybe to you. But dragons like hearing about weak, kind creatures getting defeated.

Dragons are known to be opportunists and they enjoy stories of kind creatures getting betrayed and used, but Smolder tried to make a point to Sludge that it was definitely something dragons did not do...

Yeah, that's a bit confusing. 

It reminds me of the way Garble's character was retconned in Sweet and Smoky by Smolder's mere existence. 

This analysis is making me realize that Smolder's character only exists just to retcon/contradict everything we know about dragons. Spike is better off learning about dragons from Ember. I don't hate Smolder as a character, I just hate her role in certain stories, specifically involving Spike and dragons.

Sidenote: Torch and the ancient Dragon Lord are the nicest adult dragons we've seen in the show. Even after Ember disobeyed him, Torch congratulated her, and admitted he was wrong in front of the other dragons.

[mozart-the-meerkitten]

You know what, I need to calm myself down so have another funny? interesting? ATLA/Wingfeather Saga crossover idea.

Okay, stay with me here. I legitimately think that after the end of their respective series that Kalmar and Azula could be friends.

Something something child who was had too much pressure put on them and broke, made bad decisions, was seen as a monster, feared by everyone, fought in a war, younger sibling, missed childhood...

I just feel like Kalmar, the boy who had such insane compassion for the cloven and Fangs, who had to sit in a cell all night listening to a mad Fang in the Hollows and later carried her out of the dungeon, who befriended a cloven who he thought was there to kill him, who watched his uncle suffer with madness...

Idk man I just feel like Kal would understand her. And do his very best to be her friend. He would not be phased at all by her threats or her trying to attack him. I mean, the child was in the Blackwood and attacked by his own broken people who had forgotten who they were. Azula tries to threaten him and he just shrugs and offers her a berry bun.

He'd also absolutely give her an outlet for ~chaos~, like can you imagine if he helped her to the point that she wasn't trying to kill people anymore but was still chaotic? They'd get up to SO MANY shenanigans. Janner and Zuko can't figure out why they keep getting pranked so effectively and they finally figure out their younger siblings have rallied against them.

Also, just, "Oh, your mom thought you were a monster? Do you want to share my mom? She convinced the Hollowsfolk to let me stay with them by pledging her life for mine, so that if I broke the rules she'd be punished with me, even if it meant they killed her." *small voice* "....yes." (Nia would absolutely accept another suffering child are you kidding me)

Janner, watching Kal and Azula run through Castle Rysen committing crimes shenanigans: I quit. Zuko: *just glad his sister's found a friend and isn't trying to murder anyone anymore* at least they're having fun.

edited to add: Janner: WHY ARE YOU SHOOTING FIRE AT MY LITTLE BROTHER Azula: *looking at Kalmar* training. Kal: definitely not because I bet that she couldn't shoot a glipfruit off my head. Azula: we need to work on your lying. Janner: NO

Idk man, I just feel like they'd get along so well. Kalmar at the end of the series has the depth to both care about and want to help someone like Azula. He'd have so much compassion for her it's making me lose my mind a little. And I think Azula would appreciate having someone willing to listen to her side of things and not judge her, but acknowledge her struggles and what she went through and not treat her as any less. Someone who isn't afraid of her, even a little bit. Someone who, somehow, genuinely understands.

[ibuprofinator]

I've decided the blight shit Ilya did to himself made him immortal