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bookoftheironfist · 3 months

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So i was wondering...how does Danny use the fact he's rich? Especialy considering he hangs out with Luke, i could image him being aware of the problems and struggles of the working class and wanting to help, especialy if i understand correctly that he has a very "simple" view of "do what's right and opose what's wrong" while also being generaly optimistic?

Danny's relationship with money in general, and with his inherited fortune in particular, was a recurring theme in Iron Fist comics for a long time, and you're right, it initially came to the fore in Power Man and Iron Fist volume 1, as Danny started settling into Earth society, and particularly through his friendship with Luke and his work as part of Heroes for Hire.

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 #56 by Mary Jo Duffy, Trevor Von Eeden, George Roussos, Frank Springer, and Tom Orzechowski

To start, Danny never had any interest in his parents' money; the inheritance, and his shares in Rand-Meachum Corp, were essentially dumped on him by his father's lawyer, Jeryn Hogarth. In Iron Fist volume 1, Jeryn tracks Danny down, drags him in front of the Meachums (who had taken full control of the company following the Rand family's apparent deaths), and insists that they give him his inheritance. Danny, who has not been back on Earth long and has much more pressing concerns in his life at this time, is irritated by the whole ordeal.

Iron Fist vol. 1 #8 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Dan Adkins, Bonnie Wilford, and Joe Rosen

Regardless of Danny's feelings on the matter, Jeryn succeeds in getting him what his parents left him: a huge amount of money, a 50% share in Rand-Meachum Corp, and the penthouse he grew up in. None of this has much of an impact on his stories at the time-- as Iron Fist, he has plenty of enemies to face and challenges to overcome, and at this point he was still trying to figure out who his civilian identity of Danny Rand even was. But one thing that does quickly become clear to him, as he settles further into the world of New York City, is that while he now has all of this money, he has no concept of the gravity or value of it. Having observed this about himself, he makes two key decisions: 1. He gives control of his Rand-Meachum Corp shares to Joy Meachum, and 2. He joins Heroes for Hire*. To be clear: he had many reasons for joining Heroes for Hire, key among them being his blossoming friendship with Luke and his search for a purpose while locked out of K'un-Lun. But he also embraces the opportunity to earn an honest living, and to learn the value of money through hard work.

*Just in case anyone reading this is unfamiliar with what Heroes for Hire actually was/is: When Luke acquired his superpowers and broke out of Seagate Prison (where he was being actively abused while held for a crime he did not commit), he found himself alone in the world, a fugitive, with nothing to his name but his newfound powers and his smarts. He managed to find himself a tiny apartment in Times Square (which was a very low-income, "seedy" part of the city in the 70s) and started up a business whereby people could hire him to help them, for a small fee. His goal was to earn enough money to keep himself fed and pay the rent. Over time, however, he became a known figure in the community: a superhero who looked out for the little guy. The operation expanded when Danny joined, and has taken on a number of different forms in the years since, but it has always been, first and foremost, an operation based in low-income communities and aimed at helping the underserved and oppressed. That is Luke's world, and it became Danny's too. Anyway, back to the post...

However, just because Danny is not interested in his fortune doesn't mean he doesn't still have it, and there are occasions when Heroes for Hire finds itself in need of serious cash and Danny has to dip into his funds. Luke doesn't love this; he, like Danny, wants to make it on his own, and he doesn't appreciate reminders of how well-off his friend is. Danny also comes to realize how complicated things can get when money is involved. At one point, Luke's apartment gets blown up by one of H4H's enemies, and Danny lets Luke bunk with him. He also offers him a check to get him back on his feet-- and is startled by his friend's reaction.

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 #64 by Mary Jo Duffy, Kerry Gammill, Doc Martin, Dan Green, Jon D'Agostino, and Diana Albers

"Being able to help people is the best part of having money" pretty well encompasses Danny's attitude toward his fortune. While he does do the occasional goofy rich guy thing, like going to a fancy restaurant because he never noticed the price and just likes the view, or buying a yacht because he's having an identity crisis and thinks it might help, he pretty much only acknowledges his money in the context of how he can use it to help others. Having made close friends from all walks of life, and been immersed in low-income communities throughout his career as a street-level superhero and Hero for Hire, he is acutely aware of what he has and cares deeply about helping those who have less.

Immortal Iron Fist #16 by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Dave Lanphear

In partnership with his then-girlfriend Misty Knight, he creates the Thunder Dojo, a kung fu school in Harlem for children from struggling families that also provides them with meals, tutoring, and other means of support. And then, at the end of the Immortal Iron Fist series, he shuts down his father's company entirely and commits to donating away the rest of his fortune.

Immortal Iron Fist #16 by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Dave Lanphear

He sells his penthouse and moves into a little apartment with Misty. Not long after, he founds the Rand Foundation, a community-focused non-profit, and brings in Joy Meachum, businesswoman extraordinaire, to help run it.

Shadowland: Power Man #4 by Fred Van Lente, Mahmud Asrar, Ray-Anthony Height, Bruno Hang, Dave Sharpe, et al.

Frustratingly, this strand of Danny's character journey has fallen by the wayside in the decade-or-so since this development. I wrote a post recently about the inconsistencies surrounding Rand Corp and Danny's fortune, the vanishing of the Rand Foundation, and just the blatant lack of continuity regarding Danny's financial situation in general. Currently, for no clear reason, Rand Corp is back up and running and Danny has returned to being a rich guy living in a penthouse. But it's clear-- though frustrating-- that this is largely due to various creative teams' inattention to this particular detail, or perhaps a desire to return to a certain status quo, rather than to any changes in Danny's attitude toward money or helping people.

Defenders (2017) #5 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Justin Ponsor, and Cory Petit

Thanks for the great question!

#Iron Fist #Danny Rand #Messages #Adventures in Continuity #ID in alt text

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cassiewestwood · 3 months

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CASSANDRA WESTWOOD

— hide behind your smile.

You may think you don’t want to throw your life away for mere fleeting euphoria. But, once you get a taste, it doesn’t feel so mere. From then on the planet becomes a waiting room. The rest of your life devolves to no more than the time between highs.

STATS ● BIOGRAPHY ● WANTED

Cassandra Westwood, 45, Oak Gardens, Unemployed

From Long Island, NY, bisexual, arrived late June 2024

Cis woman, she/her, married, mother of 2 boys (and Micah)

&. — the story.

infidelity tw

I did everything right, how did it go so wrong?

Life in the suburbs outside of the big city of New York was idyllic for a good sized family that was looking to raise their children in a more wholesome environment. Cassandra, the middle child, often slipped through the cracks and seemingly went unnoticed. Up against a popular, charismatic older sister and something of a sports star younger brother, Cassandra seemed to just be there. The dream was to be a lawyer or a doctor, someone of substance, she wanted to make a difference. It was Vivian, her older sister, that was destined to be the trophy wife. Paul, her younger brother, seemed destined to be some small town girl’s ticket out of town. She was the dutiful one that always had her chores done and aced all of her classes in school. Where Vivian wanted designer jeans, dresses, and shoes, Cassandra wanted to look good in a blazer.

When she made it out of Long Island, the Huntington area to be specific, Cassandra went on to paralegal studies in the city. An apartment with a few friends was shared and for a while she enjoyed life in the city. It was a time for finding out life on her own and discovering who she was, and once she received her certificate she began working at a law firm in Manhattan — Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. The independence she had found for herself was short-lived as not long into her employment at the firm she’d met Saul Weissberg. A man, who, in her opinion, was a rising star and hot shot of the firm. For whatever reason he’d taken a liking to her and after one date they were completely hooked on each other.

The difference when Cassandra dated Saul from previous boyfriends was that they had found a solid foundation of friendship within their courtship. Even though she never really said it aloud, it was kind of fun being the fresh out of college girl dating one of the firm’s brightest and most promising. In a lifetime of feeling overlooked, Cassandra was seen. One year after they’d met, she and Saul got married in a church, despite him being Jewish and neither conforming to either’s religion. It hadn’t really mattered what effort her new husband had made to appease and please hr parents, they never approved and always found something disappointing to pick at. Cassandra never could quite get to the bottom of what it was that her family, mainly her parents, didn’t like about Saul.

I don’t know, honey, he’s just not the guy for you.

At least, that much, her mother may have been right. Before that realization could come to light, Cassandra had been really happy. Even if she’d always seen Vivian in the place rather than herself, being the stay at home wife and taking care of a man’s child from a previous marriage, she enjoyed designing home and providing care for her husband and small family. As a young woman who had her own dreams it had been surprisingly fulfilling. It could’ve been the honeymoon phase of love, or it could’ve been the promise in her head and heart of family. If she started her own then she couldn’t disappear into it. As time went on and Saul grew in his career so did his time away from their family life and marriage. It got lonely, and even though Cassandra had Micah to look after, her step-son, she wanted her own children as well. Most of the time she chalked it up to timing, that it wasn’t just right yet and she was young still. Perhaps she’d given up her secretary and paralegal job at the firm to prematurely.

When her husband made partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Cassandra assumed that would be the big change, and it was, just not in the direction she had thought. Suddenly, the housewife was thrust into the glamorous world of Manhattan’s elite, part of the society and social scene. It was fun, for a while, she wasn’t upset about all the pretty things she’d then had, but at the end of the day it was all material. Still, Cassandra didn’t put up a fuss or fight because Saul being happy was most important to her. That worked, until it didn’t, and everything that Cassandra felt she was missing out on weighed too much on her chest and shoulders. Not being able to have children and a family turned out to be a deal breaker and her mama got to tell her I told you so.

Is there life out there? So much she hasn't done. Is there life beyond her family and her home? She's done what she should, should she do what she dares?

Post divorce, exactly 9 years after marriage, the papers were finalized and Cassandra found herself in another man’s home. Never had she considered herself a hot commodity, but when she and Saul had separated finding a new love hadn’t been challenging. He was in finance and she clearly hadn’t learned her lesson about men dedicated to their jobs, but at least Vaughn Westwood wanted to have a family. With having recently entered her thirties Cassandra’s clock had begun to tick, and the pressure from her mother had only intensified. Some 9 months after she’d had Saul’s signatures on their divorce papers, Cassandra welcomed her first son into the world with Vaughn. Their marriage wasn’t so bad, though Cassandra wasn’t entirely sure if she ever really fell in love with him. At least definitely not the way she had with Saul. The latter had been her first real love and that was unforgettable.

Sometimes Cassandra wondered if that had been felt by Vaughn, as in the last year of their near 15 year marriage she’d found out that her husband was having an affair. It was the biggest insult, not only for how piss poor he’d done at hiding it, but also for the fact that she seemed to be a younger model of herself. A late twenties redheaded paralegal whose bosses were doing work with Vaughn’s firm. This young thing hadn’t raised 3 children, birthing 2 of them and dedicated her life to keeping home and family in tiptop shape. Something inside of Cassandra broke with the discovery of infidelity, and she started thinking of all the things she’d given up to make the lives of others better. A makeover had been inspired and it had caused a fight with Vaughn, where a serious accusation had been hurled at her.

That’s not my son.

From the time of her first born son’s birth, her husband had been somewhat cold and distant. Not entirely and not all the time. Vaughn did provide for and support Rocco, but there were times he looked at him a little too long. Confronted with his infidelity Vaughn had wondered why it even mattered since Rocco wasn’t even his son, and Cassandra determined to prove him wrong has set out to find Saul because she needs a paternity test to prove that he’s wrong. Both head and heart feel dizzy over the possibility, maybe due to knowing the truth deep down, but Cassandra rented a house in Blue Harbor with the intention of asking her ex-husband and first love, possibly only love, to prove he’s not the father of her 14 year old son.

&. — wanted connections / plots.

friends/acquaintances from New York

anyone connected to her ex-husband Saul Weissburg that she might have met/known

current husband — they're headed for divorce amid her finding out about his affair and his accusations of their first born son not being of his DNA

#( &. — biography. )#( &. — introduction. )#intro.bh

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angrennufuin · 3 months

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Hello, I have come for revenge. All the even ones for Rosenrot? I've really liked what I've read about her so far!

HEART EMOJI KNIFE EMOJI, ETC. Thank you for enjoying Rosenrot, she is a good girl (and a menace). Sorry this is so late but her game is this week!

2. How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

Very loosely! Sometimes not even particularly sincerely - I think she's been known to do the whole "Oh, you don't want to do that, my friend" thing to an enemy. She's quite friendly overall, but not interested in letting a lot of people closer than mild friendship.

4. What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Her hobbies when she was little were mostly playing knights and meddling, and she still does those plenty (for a given value of 'playing' knights). I think she does miss the potential of artistic ability, though. She's tried nearly every creative endeavor and deemed herself bad at all of them.

6. What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

The nature of living in a small town is that she has recommended everything she loves to everyone she knows, many times. But there are some songs she first experienced In The Woods that she doesn't remember, and therefore can't recommend at all.

8. How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

I'm not sure Rosen has ever actually said "I love you" to anyone out loud, except her parents when she was very small. But when I was writing bun, I half-jokingly noted that the whole thing is Rosen and Clem saying Do you love me?/Of course I love you. Do you love me? back and forth, over and over, without ever having the guts to actually say it. Rosen won't say she loves you but she'll bring you your favorite sweet and indulge your clownery and touch your hair and hold your hands very gently.

10. What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

Rosen is a repository of lore about her world's famous knights and heroes. She thinks they're super cool! Did you know Silgre Khorsblade groomed and fed her warhorse with her own hands, even after she became king?

12. What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

Dad jokes! And the kind of humor that results in updog/bofa/matter baby jokes. And puns. She's not great at coming up with these, but she laughs hysterically whenever she encounters them.

14. How do they put out a candle?

Pinch it out. Fire resistant fingertips!

16. What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

Mostly herself, actually. Hours of internal yapping about whether she's doing the right thing/interpreting a situation right/remembering the facts correctly.

18. Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

[DIDO WHITE FLAG DOT MP3]

Which is to say, it's Clem, still, even though they hadn't spoken for seven years before campaign start. They were once very close.

Also Benediction! He found her in the woods after she had been missing for the aforementioned seven years and decided she was sister-shaped. They're the only two tieflings in their very small town (there's another, but she's much older and a recluse) and though they weren't close before she disappeared, they're attached at the hip now.

20. Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

Even if celebrities existed in Rosenrot's world in the same way they do in ours, I don't think she'd be interested in them! She likes the songs and books she likes, and doesn't particularly think about the person behind them. Clem excepted.

22. What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

Rosen is deeply afraid of forgetting things. She journals meticulously and frequently checks her memories back against the entries; the idea of just... expecting to remember an important event or a grocery list or a newly-learned fact is mind-boggling to her.

24. Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

NO, that's STEALING. She'd be sorely tempted if it was one of those Mexican wedding cookies, though.

26. How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

Spiral into self-doubt and guilt. She's got a list of everything she's done wrong since day 1 on the job and she's poring over it to see what the final straw was.

28. What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

What she would say she wants: to be a great knight. What she actually wants: a hug, a nap, and seven years of missing memories back.

30. When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

The nature of paladinhood is that the personal and the professional are pretty thoroughly intertwined imo! A failure of her job (as a paladin/adventurer) would be a failure of her identity (as a paladin/adventurer) and she would feel the same crushing amounts of guilt regardless.

32. If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

Probably trespassing or criminal mischief! Rosenrot is less concerned about property lines than she is about wandering where her feet take her.

34. How do they greet someone they like / love?

Big beaming smile and a call of their name! She likes to clasp hands/forearms, or cradle the back of their head and touch foreheads if they're really close. She does gentle (or not-so-gentle) horn bonks with Bene. When she was little, she used to pick Clem up and swing them around - but got told off once by their parents for being "too rough" with them and never did it again.

36. Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

Rosen only knows like seven or eight people! I don't think she's keeping any of them around for professional gain.

38. What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Rosen can sing pretty well in private but loses her voice if she tries to perform publicly. Probably more a mental block than anything!

40. How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

Faint distress and disapproval. Where's your backbone? Where's your FIRE? Don't dead-fish her like this! Externally, she'd probably wrap her other hand around yours and clasp tighter to make up for your deficiencies.

42. If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

She would rather swim with piranhas! So: in a hypothetical AU where public speaking doesn't make her want to die, and where I don't have an irrational hatred of all TED Talks, I think she would give a slightly woo talk about homing instinct. How I walked out of the woods. Something like that.

44. What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

As a tiefling, Rosen innately speaks Infernal, which is... semi-mutually-intelligible with other forms of Primordial. So probably those.

46. Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Listener right up until you ask about the legendary founders of her country, knighthood, or swords.

48. Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

The current adventuring party and most authority figures, if it's not something she has a moral objection to. She's very polite.

50. What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

I haven't dug down into deciding the weird nitty-gritty of Rosen's morals yet, but she believes in a level of animism and self-sacrifice that I simply Do Not.

52. Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

She is fairly confident in her own intuition and therefore presumes that her immediate emotions are correct and should be acted on, especially in a situation that needs a quick response.

54. What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

Fight or freeze! Usually, fight in physical situations, and freeze in emotional ones -- but she'll flip to the other option if it looks like her first instinct isn't working. So this works out as, e.g.: someone gets in her face -> she squares up for a fight -> she can't hit them because they're weaker than her/someone she doesn't want to hurt -> freeze and panic. Or, the other way around: someone teases her or brings up an uncomfortable topic -> she goes silent and nonresponsive to try and get them away from it -> they persist -> she flares up and stomps her foot about it.

56. If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

She wants not to have to rely on anyone's comfort at all, because she would like to be the one doing the comforting. But when she's panicked about memory issues, she instinctively seeks out Bene for comfort. She sibling-imprinted hard.

58. How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

Sooooo many! Rosen is always trying (usually somewhat secretively) to find a creative/artistic endeavor she'll be good at. She hasn't yet, partly because she's measuring herself by extremely talented people around her and partly because she believes she lacks some intrinsic artistic spark.

#rosenrot the tiefling #character details #op #saturnine-satureight #THANKS FOR THE ASK BUD

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strawwritesfic · 3 years

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Thor Odinson x Female!Midgardian!Reader: Adventures in a Realm Without Divorce Court [Ch. 2]

Summary: It was supposed to be a standard Vegas trip: drinking, gambling, a night out on the town with your best friend, Jane. A bit too much of the first has you pass out–through your entire wedding! Waking up to find yourself married to your best friend’s boyfriend? Not that great. Even worse? He’s not from Earth, not by a long shot. Worse still? They don’t believe in divorce in his Realm, and you never wanted to be a princess.

Challenge: “A Twist on ‘I Do’” by Aqua4044 on Lunaescence Archives.

Ratings/Warnings/Tags: T (drinking problems; slow burn; hate to love; sexual references; jerk!Odin; not woobie!Loki; foul language; references to broken families; references to broken-off engagements; love triangles galore; siblings!Sif & Heimdall; set in between Avengers (2012) and Thor: The Dark World; not canon compliant; Jane & Reader friendship; Darcy & Reader friendship; Clint & Reader friendship; Sif & Reader friendship; Loki & Reader friendship)

Pairings: Thor/Reader; Thor/Jane; Jane/Thor/Reader; Clint/Darcy/Fandral; one sided!Sif/Thor

Tag List: @imaginesfire

Master List

Chapter 2: Viva Las Vegas

What had you said roughly two hundred times on your way up to Vegas? That you wanted a change of scenery. That anything was better than where you’d been; that anyone was better than who you’d been with. Well, you certainly had that much, you mused as you stared out of the hotel window. A seemingly endless stream of cars moved unsteadily eight stories down, stopping and starting at nearly every stoplight. One such car pulled a large billboard with a group of chippendales emblazoned upon it.

Given what you knew of Darcy from the nearly ten hour drive there, you had half a mind to call her to see as well. You probably would have, in fact, if not for her being embroiled in some sort of massive fight with Clint. When you turned to face the rest of the brown and white room, she was dumping his duffel bag onto the floor.

“Oh, no. I don’t think so.”

“Well, I do,” Clint said pleasantly, placing the bag back on one of the room’s two beds. Darcy stared at him, then pushed it off. He picked it up again. You sighed and rested your cheek on your palm as you watched. They’d been at it the night before, too, at the motel your group had stopped at, but it hadn’t been this bad. If only Jane had explained the room assignments before arrival, maybe then Darcy and Clint could have figured out who was sleeping where without having to argue so loudly.

“I’ve got a pretty big job to do. Why do I have to sleep on the floor?” Clint wanted to know. He was, you noticed, clearly not as into the argument as Darcy was. You could see his smirk clear across the room. She apparently could not.

“Excuse me, but I am a lady and you are not,” she said, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Didn’t your mother teach you anything about chivalry?”

“Since when were you a lady? I thought you were a self-proclaimed badass.”

“It’s not just self-proclaimed. And I can be both, thank you very much!”

You rolled your eyes and turned to look back out the window once more. Your fingers twisted around the pink fabric of the curtains as you tried to tune the bickering out. It couldn’t be more apparent that Darcy and Clint wanted to jump each other’s bones, and Jane expected you to stay the weekend with them while she and Thor were upstairs in another room?

Not, you supposed, that they would be any better. In all your years of knowing Jane, she’d never been that happy with someone she was dating. In fact, during college, Jane didn’t date people. Sure, she went on the occasional dinner, but she was too busy working on her Einstein Rosen Bridge thesis to care much what happened to her dates. Thor was somehow different. At least he adored her just as much as she adored him; you would have had to beat him up if he didn’t.

“Did you pay for a portion of this hotel room, birdbrain?” Darcy’s voice cut into your reflections.

“No,” Clint replied.

“Then you don’t get a bed.” You heard the distinct sound of Clint’s bag hitting the wood floor for a third time. “‘Cause I’m sure [Name] doesn’t want to share her bed with you and you sure as hell aren’t sleeping with me–and the two of us paid to be here.”

Clint snorted as he bent to pick up his things, then slung the bag over his back. “Fine. I brought a sleeping bag anyway.”

“What?” Darcy practically shrieked.

“I figured I wouldn’t have a bed, so I went ahead and brought a sleeping bag. Is that a problem?”

A long silence followed those words. You kept your eyes trained to the stream of traffic. If those two started making out, you definitely did not want to see. A moment later, however, and Darcy spoke in a tone that was explicitly strained:

“You know what? Whatever. I’m going to go take a shower and get ready for tonight.”

“Where are you going?”

“None of your business!” she snapped before she slammed the bathroom door shut behind her. With a long sigh, you turned back again. Clint ignored you, already working on spreading his sleeping bag out across the black and white carpet. He smiled all the while and even chuckled once or twice.

Without speaking, you crossed the room to your bed and picked up your own small suitcase. It was light, since you didn’t have much in it. Just pajamas, a few nicer pieces of clothing, and some toiletries. You’d left your apartment in such a hurry. At least the rest of your things should have made it your mom’s place by then. You unzipped your luggage as quietly as you could. That wasn’t exactly necessary, since Clint hardly even noticed you were there. He was too busy fiddling with something of his own to bother much with you.

The dress in your hands fell back into the jumbled mess within your bag. A jolt of pain in your chest accompanied a familiar sting in your eyes; you hastily lifted your hand to wipe away a fresh wave of tears. Clint and Darcy were going to be a couple, and, yes, you’d probably have to watch them get to that point. That didn’t mean you had to cry over it. But it also didn’t mean you had to stick around and wait for her to invite him to conserve water with her. Just as silently as ever, you slipped past Clint and out into the hallway–where, of course, the tears threatened to overwhelm you again.

You jammed the elevator button as hard as you could, then squeezed your eyes shut just as hard. When the nearby doors opened, your eyes did as well. All you had to do was step into the thankfully empty lift. Breathe. Just breathe. Don’t scream. Don’t Swear. Just because Garrison turned out to be some wuss that couldn’t even bother to tell you himself that he didn’t want to get married anymore, you weren’t going to throw a tantrum in the middle of the Flamingo hotel. No, you were over tantrums. You’d made sure to get those out of your system before you’d made the trip to New Mexico. Jane thinking you were more of a mess than she already did was the last thing you wanted out of this vacation.

By the time the doors opened again, you had yourself under control for the most part. A quick look at your reflection in a hallway mirror told you that, at the very least, you hadn’t smudged your makeup. With any luck, Jane would have no idea how close you’d been to tears before arriving at her doorstep. You still needed a moment to breathe before you knocked, however.

“Couldn’t stand being around Clint and Darcy anymore?” she asked without preamble upon opening the door. You shook your head. “Join the club. Oh, and you can come in, too.”

“Thanks,” you said as you followed her inside. Jane was already a lot farther along than Darcy on her beauty routine, you noticed. She had applied her makeup and pulled her hair up into an elegant bun, and was wearing a beautiful dress the likes of which you’d never seen on her, even when you’d tried to give her makeovers when you were in school together.

“Thor is in the shower,” Jane explained unnecessarily over the hiss of water coming from the bathroom. You made a noncommittal noise in reply and plunked yourself down onto the only bed in Jane and Thor’s room. Your eyes wandered about for a minute or so. There wasn’t much of anything different to look at, unfortunately, and when they landed on Jane still standing by the television, she cocked her head to one side. “So…”

“That doesn’t sound good. Is this another lecture on life from Dr. Foster?” you said, though one end of your mouth quirked up.

“No! I don’t mean anything bad, but…I was just wondering why you quit your job. I thought you really liked it there.”

“I did. But Garrison worked there, too, you know? As part of my department. I just couldn’t handle seeing him every day. Most of the staff was invited to the wedding, too, and I didn’t want to go into the office anymore. It’s kind of hard to get any research done without at least going to library every so often, and I was basically just working from home for the last few weeks.“

“But what are you going to do now?”

“I have no idea,” you said with a wry smile. “Move back to my hometown?”

“But you hate New Mexico!”

“Yeah, but I’d be closer to you. I’d like that.” Your shoulders shrugged; suddenly you found your fingernails very interesting. “And my family. Carlos just graduated from high school, and Cooper will soon. I could help them out with college, I guess.”

“Or you could come work for me.”

You had to laugh at that. Jane was such a nice person–nice to the point of ridiculousness sometimes. “Jane, we don’t even work in the same field.”

“Just until you find other work.” She sat down next to you, as though to assure you of her eagerness with her willingness to be inside your personal bubble. “I’m sure we could use you somehow! I mean, now that the Bifrost has been fixed, there will be so much work to do! I’m actually hoping that I can expand my circle of employees.”

Your heart sank. God, you adored Jane. You could never be like her, and that was somehow nice. But the thought of her giving you such charity just upset you further. Before you could tell her thanks, but no thanks, the bathroom door clicked, and out stepped Thor, dressed to the nines in an expensive suit. He looked at both you and Jane before adjusting a cuff and asking:

“Is this correct?”

You whistled, long and low. Jane threw you a look of bashful pleasure that gave way to a laugh when you waggled your eyebrows like you had in college whenever she met a boy. Still giggling, she walked up to the Thor to adjust his tie.

“Yes, it’s correct,” she said, and then took a step back to give him a second once-over. “Wow, that’s weird.”

“It feels strange as well,” Thor confessed, shifting his shoulders against the suit jacket’s fabric. You stifled a chuckle at how uncomfortable he looked; he and Jane almost matched. “I am not used to such attire, but if it will please Selvig…”

“What, you don’t have suits where you come from?” you asked. You meant the question in jest, but Thor shook his head. “You’re kidding!” Come to think of it, he did have something of an accent. “Where are you from?”

Both Thor and Jane froze. His blue eyes found Jane’s face; her mouth fell into a near-perfect “o” for about five seconds before she answered:

“Canada.”

Your eyebrows pressed up. “They don’t have suits in Canada?”

Thor smiled. “It’s very northern…Canada.”

“Right,” you said after an awkward pause. Jane must have noticed it, because she clapped until the two of you looked at her.

"We’re going to be late,” she said. Thor immediately found his place next to her and grabbed her hand. You felt your cheeks warm at the sight and looked away. “[Name], are you ready?”

You looked pointedly down at the shirt you were wearing. It still had wrinkles from that morning’s drive. Perhaps Jane had learned mind reading since you’d last seen her, since the next thing she said was:

“That’s okay. You don’t have to dress up.”

“And waste the opportunity?” You tried your best to smile at her.

Jane only frowned in response. “If you don’t want to go back to your room, you can borrow something of mine.”

“I really doubt that would work,” you answered, and gestured at your chest. She appeared to get the message, because she winced slightly. Her eyes darted to Thor, but the frown pulling at his lips indicated that differences in breast sizes were not something they had in northern Canada either. With a sigh, you settled back onto the bed pillows. “I’m not really up for socialization tonight anyway, Jane. I’m sorry.”

“Are you sure? You’ll miss the show.”

“Yeah.” Listening to Clint and Darcy argue in your room was quite enough time with couples for you that day. Still, you didn’t want Jane to think it had anything to do with her, so you forced a smile. “I’m probably just gonna go downstairs and get a drink.”

Teeth flashed against her lower lip. You could tell that when Jane looked at you again, she didn’t feel quite right about leaving you there. A wave at the door behind them would set her on her way, you hoped.

“Seriously, Jane. Don’t worry about me. You and Thor go have fun.”

“And Darcy and Clint,” she added.

“Yeah, them, too. All the happy couples should go off and have fun.”

Jane opened her mouth, presumably to apologize, but then must have thought better of that. She forced the smile that time, and then she and Thor turned to exit. Right before they did so, however, Jane looked back at you.

“You can stay here until we get back, if you want. Get away from Clint and Darcy.”

“What, and prevent you having a good time with Thor when you get back?” Jane choked out a completely incomprehensible protest; you laughed and waved her toward the door again. “Seriously, Jane. Just go have fun. Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl.”

“Text me if you change your mind?”

“Promise.”

Before the door fully swung shut behind the two of them, you heard Thor’s deep rumble of a voice say something to Jane, and she laughed again. The silence struck soon after, leaving you with nothing but yourself and your uncomfortable thoughts in the empty hotel room. Why was Jane suddenly so lucky with guys? Why was everyone but you suddenly so lucky with guys? On the rare occasions that men noticed Jane in college, she couldn’t be bothered to notice them. You had been the one that went out, the wild child, the one that crammed in study sessions at four the morning before the test while Jane had everything but her love and sex lives planned down to the smallest detail.

Maybe that was the problem. You weren’t organized enough; you just weren’t as goal-oriented or intelligent as Jane. Maybe you slept with too many people. Maybe you weren’t pretty or optimistic enough. But you’d never know, because Garrison hadn’t had the balls to tell you just what his problem was. You were going to be all alone forever! If only you’d modeled yourself more after Jane. If only you’d taken more of her advice in school. Because even after your vacation in Vegas, you still had to go back home, where your mother would be waiting with fluttering hands and soft pity and warm tea.

You stood up abruptly at the burning in your chest. God, when were you going to leave that behind you? It was just a stupid wedding; Garrison was just another stupid guy in your growing list of failed engagements. But even in Las Vegas you couldn’t get away from thinking about him, and what had ended up being so wrong with you. With a sudden rush of inspiration, you got to your feet and marched out of Jane and Thor’s room.

Maybe there wasn’t any place on Earth to get away from your feelings–but that wouldn’t stop you from trying what the place you were in offered. Booze had definitely been your friend in college. It looked as though you were going to buddy up with it again.

******

It was close to the midnight hour by the time Jane and Thor returned to their room. Just as you had said, you had vacated the premises, which was not cause for worry in and of itself. Forty-five minutes later, however, and Darcy called to say you were not in her room either. Neither she nor Clint had any idea where you had gone, and no matter how many times Jane called your cellular device, no one ever picked up.

And so it was that Thor found himself picking through the lower floor of the hotel, looking for you while Jane waited in the room in case you called her back. The acrid smell of some sort of burning sticks the Midgardians breathed in filled the air, but he was determined that that should not distract him, nor should the flashing machines into which most of the crowd were putting their money.

At last he came to the bar. Upon Thor’s first glance, he very nearly left immediately, as there was certainly a crowd, but no one smirking or laughing like the [Name] from the journey to this town. There were several people slumped over at the bar, however, and on closer inspection, he discovered that one such woman was, in fact, you.

“[Name],” he said as he strode closer. You did not respond; he placed a hand on your shoulder and shook as gently as he could. “[Name]?”

With a groan he could barely hear over the banging and beeping in the rest of the room, you sat up and looked blearily about until your eyes landed upon him.

“Thor?” you rasped. “What are you doing here?”

“Jane is worried. She sent me to find you.”

“Great,” you said. There was a distinct slur to your voice that made him frown. “Now she’s going to think I’m even more pathetic.”

He took a seat next to you, and scooted closer. Although he himself had never been what the Midgardians referred to as “drunk,” he knew the symptoms well enough, as even those on Asgard could suffer from the condition on rare occasions. “Why would Jane think you were pathetic?”

“Because I am,” you said as your head flopped back onto your arms. “I’m here getting drunk alone in Vegas when I could be out having fun, and every guy I’ve dated has broken up with me. God. You’re so nice, coming to get me. Jane’s lucky. I wish I could find someone nice.”

“I am sure you will find someone nice someday,” Thor said, though if he were honest, he was not quite sure what you were on about. He did not have much experience with women–only his mother, Sif, and Loki on occasion. Never human women, and he hadn’t the faintest idea what you were doing, getting drunk over some gentleman that had decided to abandon you without comment. It seemed quite a waste of time in his eyes.

“No, I won’t. Because I’m the problem. I’m a horrible person.”

“Jane likes you. I am sure you are a delightful woman.”

“Sure. Tell that to my two ex-fiancés.” Quite suddenly, you began to cry. Thor had the feeling it was all the alcohol in your system, but he still hated to see that, and knew that your sadness would cause Jane to suffer as well. He began to pat you gingerly on the back, all the while looking about himself so that he could shield you should any prying eyes catch you in your moment of weakness.

“If there is anything I can do,” he said,” you have but to speak it.”

“Yeah, sure.” Your voice grew quieter and quieter; your tears began to stop as well. “Unless you can get me married before the end of this weekend, there’s no hope for me.”

“Then I shall do it. You have my word.”

You snorted. “Right.”

A moment later, and you fell entirely silent. The long, deep breaths of slumber began to issue from your nose. Thor watched as his mind raced. You were sad. You being sad made Jane sad. The only way to make you happy was to get you married, which lead to the logical assumption that the only way to make Jane happy was to get you married.

Before any of the other gentlemen at the bar could take advantage of your vulnerable position, Thor scooped you up into his arms. Luckily, no one seemed the slightest bit concerned that he was taking you somewhere in such a condition. Even more luckily, Thor knew just the place for marriages. Thank goodness Jane had showed him some of the drive-thru chapels on the tour earlier. Otherwise, the vacation might have turned out a complete disappointment.

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strayfairytarot · 3 years

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Can you do a reading on Lee know and Changbin's friendship in past, present and future spread?

Lee know and Changbins Friendship

* ~ *

Past

so it was different to say the least, it wasn’t something they both were used to. changbin thought that minho was super confident and minho thought that changbin was super confident and so they both were put off a bit by it. just cause they weren’t sure if these were the right people. it was a new friendship too, i don’t see them being nervous around each other but just being super awkward.

Present

so i’m not sure why the cards keep showing this but i feel like recently stray kids have gotten into a bit of conflict with each other. we’re having a tower moment with both minho and changbin…. maybe there’s has been a fight with the group and so they’re all just having some anxiety rosen and angering energy’s. both changbin and minho’s friendship currently is full of some funny moments though. they seem to love bickering with each other and playing pranks, and they’re always willing to move forward and help each other.

Future

so in the future i think they might have some petty drama with each other, over the course of a few weeks and maybe months? it’s just gonna be something petty that’ll be big, nothing super major but still talked about a lot. but they will love each other, they both want the best for the other and are willing to give if needed. they both seem like the type to be a ‘work for it’ type of person, so they might be petty like that and make the other person ‘work for it’.

#stray kids #stray kids tarot #strayfairytarot #skz #skz tarot #tarot #changbin #lee know #kpop #kpop tarot #kpop tarot readings #stray kids readings #stray kids tarot readings

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teenslib · 4 years

Link

IT’S FINALLY DONE! Every year, the Rainbow Book List Committee has more books to review, because literature is slowing getting queerer, and children’s and YA lit are at the forefront of that change. This year, our committee of 13 people had to review nearly 500 eligible titles, and 130 (well, 129) were good enough and queer enough to make the list. There were so many terrific books that we got a special dispensation to create TWO Top Ten lists--the first time the committee has done so! The Top Tens are below, and please visit the link above for the full list.

I’m proud of our committee’s focus on diversity--along lines of race, ethnicity, queer identity, and even genre. At least half of the Top Ten Books for Young Readers and seven of the Top Ten for Teen Readers are about characters of color, and most of those were written by authors of color. We also tried to feature as many different letters of the alphabet soup as possible. I’ve noted the racial and LGBTQIA+ rep for the books that I’ve read.

Here are the Top Ten Books for Young Readers:

Ana on the Edge by Sass, A.J. Ages 8 to 12. Sports Fiction/Figure Skating. MC is nonbinary and Jewish-Chinese-American. Ana is a champion figure-skater. She hates her new princess-themed program, but how can she tell her mother that, when it cost so much money? And why does it bother her so much, anyway? When she finds the word ‘nonbinary,’ she realizes why the program doesn’t fit, but she still has a lot of work to do repairing relationships that have suffered in the meantime.

The Deep & Dark Blue by Smith, Niki. Ages 8 to 12. Fantasy. One of 2 MCs is a trans girl, all characters appear to be Southeast Asian. A pair of twins flee after a political coup that puts their lives at risk. They decide to disguise themselves as Hanna and Grayce, two girls living in the Communion of the Blue, an order of weaving women who spin magic like wool. What one twin doesn’t know is that, for the other, being Grayce isn’t a disguise. This is a beautiful story about self-discovery, acceptance, and affirmation.

Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring by Burgess, Matthew and Josh Cochran (Illustrator). Ages 6 to 14. Biography. MC is a white gay man. This colorful picture-book biography traces the life and art of Keith Haring.

The Every Body Book: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families by Simon, Rachel E. and Noah Grigni (Illustrator). Ages 8 to 12. Nonfiction/Health. Various identities and races included. Filled with self-affirming information, The Every Body Book uses inclusive language, illustrations, and facts to cover a number of important topics for young people including consent, relationships, gender, sex, puberty, and hormones.

King and the Dragonflies by Callender, Kacen. Ages 8 to 12. Realistic Fiction. MC is a gay black boy, his best friend is a gay white boy. King’s family–especially his father–have strong opinions about what it means to be a Black man, and they don’t allow for being gay. But King admires his friend Sandy for escaping an abusive home and living his truth no matter what. If King comes out, too, can his father learn to change?

Magic Fish by Nguyen, Trung Le. Ages 12 and up. Realistic Fiction/Fantasy. MC is a gay Vietnamese-American boy. A young Vietnamese-American boy literally can’t find the words to tell his parents that he’s gay, but cross-cultural fairytales help bridge the language barrier in this beautifully-illustrated graphic novel.

My Maddy by Pitman, Gayle E. and Violet Tobacco (Illustrator). Ages 4-8. Realistic Fiction. MC’s parent is nonbinary, MC and her parent are white. My Maddy is a heartwarming story about a young girl and her parent. Readers learn that not all parents are boys or girls; some parents are just themselves. In this young girl’s case, that parent is her Maddy, a loving, caring parent who lives outside the gender binary.

My Rainbow by Neal, DeShanna, Trinity Neal, and Art Twink (Illustrator). Ages 4-8. Realistic Fiction. MC is an autistic black trans girl. Autistic trans girl Trinity wants to have long hair, but growing it out is too itchy! None of the wigs in the store are quite right, so Mom makes Trinity a special rainbow wig.

Our Subway Baby by Mercurio, Peter and Leo Espinosa (Illustrator). Ages 4 to 8. Adoption Non-fiction. MCs are white gay men, the baby they adopt is Black. Loving illustrations help tell the story of how an infant abandoned in a NYC subway station was adopted by the man who found him and his partner.

Snapdragon by Leyh, Kat. Snapdragon. Ages 10 to 14. Fantasy. Haven’t read this one yet, so I can’t comment on its representation. Snap gets to know the town witch and discovers that she may in fact have real magic and a secret connection to Snap’s family’s past.

And here are the Top Ten Books for Teen Readers:

All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by Johnson, George M. Ages 14 to 18. Memoir. Author/MC is a gay Black man. “Memoir-manifesto” is a well-chosen label for this book, which relates stories from the author’s childhood and young adulthood and contextualizes them within a queer Black experience. Although the author’s family is loving and supportive, pervasive heteronormativity, queerphobia, and anti-Black racism threaten his mental, emotional, and physical safety.

Camp by Rosen, L.C. Ages 14 and up. Realistic Fiction. MC and his love interest are gay Jewish boys. For Randy, going away to Camp Outland is a breath of fresh air, a time to be exactly who Randy can’t always be at school. But this year will be different. This year, Randy won’t be the flamboyant theater kid, this year Randy will be exactly the type of bro Hudson would want to date. Changing a thing or too will be necessary for Randy to succeed, even if that means leaving some friends behind.

Cemetery Boys by Thomas, Aiden. Ages 13 and up. Paranormal/Romance. MC is a trans Latino, his love interest is a gay Latino. Yadriel accidentally summons the wrong ghost in an attempt to prove himself a real brujo to his family who struggle to accept his gender identity. Though he thinks he is summoning the ghost of his cousin, he actually summons the ghost of Julian Diaz, and finds himself with not one, but two, mysterious deaths to investigate.

Circus Rose by Cornwell, Betsy. Ages 12 and up. Fantasy. One MC is white and one is mixed-race, one is a lesbian and one is questioning. Ivory and Rosie are twins and half-sisters, born to a bearded woman who refused to choose between her lovers, and raised in their mother’s circus. After a long foreign tour, they come home to find themselves under attack by religious zealots. As tragedy follows tragedy, will Ivory be able to save her circus family?

Elatsoe by Little Badger, Darcie and Rovina Cai (Illustrator). Ages 12 and up. Mystery. MC is an aro/ace Lipan Apache girl. In this OwnVoices novel, Elatsoe is on a mission to discover who killed her beloved cousin, and why. If not for her cousin, then she is doing this for her people, the Indigenous Lipan Apache tribe. Elatsoe has the ability to raise ghosts from the dead, a tradition that has been passed down through generations. On this journey it will take vulnerability, wit, and the legends of her people for Elatsoe to understand all that is hidden in the small town of Willowbee.

I’ll Be the One by Lee, Lyla. Ages 13 and up. Realistic Fiction. MC is a bi Korean-American girl, her love interest is a bi Korean boy. Skye Shin dreams of becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and a reality TV competition may just be her chance. To win, she’ll have to deal with fatphobic beauty standards, fierce competition, and intense media scrutiny–as well as unexpected attraction to one of her competitors.

Miss Meteor by Mejia, Tehlor Kay and Anna-Marie McLemore. Ages 14 and up. Magical Realism. (I haven’t read this one, but I think both MCs are WLW Latinas.) Lita is a star – literally. After falling to earth several years ago, she’s now living life as a teenage girl. When the annual Miss Meteor pageant rolls around, Lita decides to enter – but will her ex-best friend Chicky be willing to help her? Will the pageant help her forget about the past and imagine a new future? Lita learns that winning isn’t about being perfect, it’s about showing your true self to the world – even the parts that no one else understands.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Johnson, Leah. Ages 12 and up. Realistic Fiction. MC is a black WLW (woman-loving-woman). In this affectionate rom-com, Liz Lighty finds herself an unlikely candidate for prom queen at her affluent suburban school. Shy, awkward, Black, and low-income, Liz has never felt like she belonged, and she can’t wait to leave for her dream college. But when her scholarship falls through, it seems her last resort is to win prom queen, and the scholarship money that comes with it. Liz’s plan is complicated when new girl Mack decides to run for prom queen also…and ends up running away with Liz’s heart.

War Girls by Onyebuchi, Tochi. Ages 12 and up. Science Fiction/Afro-Futurism. Both MCs are Nigerian, one is a WLW. In a not-so-distant future, climate change and nuclear disasters have made much of the earth unlivable. In the midst of war in Nigeria, two sisters, Onyii and Ify, are torn apart and face two very different futures. As their lives progress through years of untold violence and political unrest, battles with deadly mechs and cyborg soldiers outfitted with artificial limbs and organs, they are brought together again and again and must come to terms with how the war has impacted their lives.

When We Were Magic by Gailey, Sarah. Ages 14 and up. Contemporary Fantasy. MC is a white bi/questioning girl with gay dads, her friends are racially, ethnically, and queerily diverse. This firecracker of a novel follows a group of friends who attempt to correct the accidental murder of a classmate. When We Were Magic combines magic, friendship, and awkward moments to create a captivating story. Each character brings their own uniqueness to the strong group of friends, but despite their differences, their loyalty remains. Author Sarah Gailey has written another page turning novel, with the quirky strange content to boot.

#Rainbow Book List #LGBT literature #queer books #queer YA #queer children's books #Book Recommendations #we need diverse books

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briandthemoon · 5 years

Photo

~ Uploading this WIP here too! ~ {You can see both on my deviantArt too [same username], but with some of the original ideas and thoughts.} So uh, I did what I do best and shoved two things I love and have been hyperfocusing on for the last month together: Sanders Sides and RWBY.

I’ve been binging @thatsthat24 ‘s Sanders Sides videos and fan comics for the last month or so and by god, it’s really lifted my mood. I’m gonna work to get them all lined and coloured soon, but since I’ll be travelling in the next week, I’ll likely have paper sketches and such to upload if I’m lucky.

As for this AU, say hello to Team RNBO [Rainbow]! This is what I have so far in terms of character information; [putting it under a readmore, please do have a look!]

Roman De La Rosa:

- Semblance: "Picture This" - the ability to conjure an item proportional to the positive emotions he alone is feeling. So the happier and more creative he feels, the better.

- Weapons: “Armas Y Rosas“, a gauntlet-gun [armas] and a rosen rapier sword [rosas]. It’s literally just a Guns N Roses joke.

Virgil Nightshade:

- Black Cat Faunus. I didn’t realise til too late how similar to Blake he is but honestly, idc, I love him.

- Semblance: "Panic Room" - the ability to conjure a small isolated, soundproof space to trap someone in. Including himself in times of distress.

- Weapons: “Atropa” and “Solanum”, two knives with dust vials that attach to the end to infuse the metal. He usually uses Gravity Dust because 1) aesthetic and 2) if you have gravity defying Dust? Thats a cool escape my guy.

Logan Blu-Berrie:

- Semblance: “Blu-Screen of Death” - the ability to perform computer-esque functions via summons, i.e. attacking someone with a text box he just conjured, or browsing data and memories on a summoned screen for accuracy.

- Weapon: “Crofter”, a staff-spear that uses projection similar to Velvet’s weapon to form blades when needed. I.E. turning the staff into an axe or hammer or even forming a fishing line. [Looking at this whole thing, Logan wound up giving me big Scottish vibes in this AU and I’m SO for it.]

Patton Opal:

- Labrador Faunus, best boy 1000/10, didn’t have to re-work his design at all, what a madlad

- Semblance: "New Trick" - the ability to mark a person and be able to find them via a boosted scent marker. So far Roman smells like strawberries and creme, Virgil smells like smokey wood, and Logan smells like jam. And yes, Patton has tried tracking himself. He smells of vanilla cookies.

Weapon: “Storge”, a shield - axe combo. Mostly used in the shield position unless he’s forced to be active in a fight. Tried to give this weapon BIG Rose Quartz Shield Vibes.

Remus Pepinillo:

- for those wondering, he threw out the De La Rosa name when he left the family to go eat deoderants without judgement. And to go cause havoc.

- Semblance: “Can’t Be Unseen” - Similar to Roman’s semblance, Remus can conjure items but instead based upon other people’s negative emotions directed at him. So things like disgust and fear directed at him make him stronger.

- Weapon: “Asqueroso”, a mace that can be wielded in pole form or as a chain flail. The name literally is just the spanish for “Disgusting”.

“Deceit“:

- Python faunus. Pretty obvious there. As for a name, I’ll work with whatever becomes canon, tbh. His hat snake isn’t real, it’s just a design, but he has named his hat “Monty”.

- Semblance: “Trust in Me” - Deceit can mimic someone else’s voice to the point of being hypnotic in some cases.

- Weapon: “Kaa”, a microphone that can amplify sounds to use as ammo, or can be combined with dust vials for other effects, such as fire breathing or ice breath. This is absolutely where Virgil got the idea for his knives.

~~ Little Things In Their Designs Collectively~~

- So mostly Roman and Virgil had a revamp and got added or changed details. I’m personally loving the rose decals for Roman, and the fact that Virgil has to keep sewing his hoodie pocket sides back up because he keeps knee-jerk whipping out his knives and catching them on the sides. Also freckles. I cannot stress enough how much I needed to give one of these cute lil guys freckles.

- Logan and Patton really didn’t change much; Patton came out perfect the first time, and Logan just needed some proportion adjustments. Later I went and added friendship bracelets to each design because I do not believe for a second that Patton wouldn’t make them team bracelets. The card suit beads was just an addition that I added because I am the artist and none of you can stop me from adding the tiniest of references to Homestuck Quadrants.

- For Roman and Remus, I wanted them to have similar poses but good god, it was still hard to draw Remus’s hands. They look so good in the end though so I’m good with ‘em. I also might give him a little top hat or something at some point and see how it looks, I dunno.

- As for Deceit, I had a bit of trouble trying to pin down his design at first, but once I rolled with the allusions to Kaa from Jungle Book, it went far easier. I quite like that I added the poisonous needles in the bottom of his boots as a “sting in the tail” kind of thing.

- Talking about inspirations and such, Roman, Virgil, and Patton are pretty much just colour based; Roman being red roses [his name literally being Roman of the Rose] as a symbol of romance of course, with Virgil’s whole motif being Edgey and thus going with nightshade purple as his colour, and finally with Patton, his name took me the longest to work out, but Opal seemed to fit really well, and considering it represents Love and Loyalty? Come on, I had to.

- As for Logan, Deceit, and Remus, they all got more story links worked in somehow without me really realising. Logan was really unexpected, but between the Crofters’ Jam link and the blue colours, he gave me sort of Little Boy Blue vibes, and also via the name Logan being Scottish in origin and yknow, everythign else I mentioned? Yeah. I will definitely be adding celtic flair to his design when its coloured. Deceit is more obvious; Kaa was a good choice in influence that I noticed halfway through and just buckled down on. For Remus, he bounced around a bit between Maleficent and Dr Facilier, but in the end, I figured the Shadow Man was a better fit. Also his surname is literally just the Spanish for “Pickle” or “Gherkin”.

- Final info, if people are wondering, they’d all be centred on Huntsman training at Beacon, but in terms of where they’re from;

Roman and Remus would be from Atlas, obviously. That place spits out rich kids with issues like it’s quickfire Uno.

Virgil would be from Mantle; it’s pretty obviously one of the more run down and hard to live in areas, plus that’d set up the in this universe initial animosity between Roman and Virgil.

Logan is from Vale, so he’s a Beacon native. I considered him being from Atlas because of their tech. However, Vale won me over with Logan’s european influences and such.

Patton would be from Vacuo. I know its a weird choice, but hey, it’s full of faunus and it just fit a bit better than Menagerie or Mistral.

Speaking of, Deceit is 100% Menagerie born, but Mistral bred. He often tells people different conflicting origin stories, and won’t even tell his name to ex-buddy Virgil or ‘best buddy’ Remus.

I think that’s everything so far!!

I dunno if everyone else is as hype to see what comes of all this as I am, but either way I’m going to have fun doing it. <3

_______ PLEASE DO NOT: - repost my art at all - you are not permitted to line or colour this art - you are not permitted to use this art as an icon or profile pic - do not steal these designs, I put a lot of work into them ;; _______ Sanders Sides (c) @thatsthat24 RWBY (c) Monty Oum & Rooster Teeth The sketches belong to me.

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barcarole · 5 years

Note

Hi! I am such a huge fan of your blog and admire your vast knowledge of classical music. I wanted to ask you if you have any recommendations for books on Bach? I started reading Peter Williams’ “A life in music”, but while enjoying it, I find it a bit too biographical for my needs, as I want to read something that analyses his music in depth, rather than focusing primarily on his life. Also, if you have any non-fiction classical music books to recommend, that would also be very helpful. Thanks!

Hello! I haven’t read A Life in Music, but these are some of my favorite Bach books that focus on his work:

Bach’s Musical Universe, the Composer and his Works, Christoph Wolff

Bach’s Major Vocal Works: Music, Drama, Liturgy, Markus Rathey

Bach and the Patterns of Invention, Laurence Dreyfus

Bach and the Meanings of Counterpoint, David Yearsley

The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard D. P. Jones (Vol. I, II)

The New Bach Reader, Christoph Wolff

Below, there are some recommended texts. I’ve still yet to read Swafford’s newest Beethoven biography, Fischer’s book on Mahler, a definitive Schubert biography, Debussy’s complete collection of letters and many others, but I enjoyed and learned much from these. In most cases, they don’t require a technical knowledge of music. I tried to cover various areas, depending on which composer/period may interest you more. I hope I’ve helped!

Music Appreciation

The Joy of Music, Leonard Bernstein

Music Here and Now, Ernst Krenek

Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons, Igor Stravinsky

Chamber Music: A Listener’s Guide, James Keller

What to Listen for in Music, Aaron Copland

A Composer’s World: Horizons and Limitations, Paul Hindemith

Biographies

Mozart: His Character, His Work, Alfred Einstein

Monteverdi, Paolo Fabbri

Handel in London: The Making of a Genius, Jane Glover

Beethoven: The Music and the Life, Lewis Lockwood

Schubert: A Biography, Elizabeth Norman McKay

Mendelssohn: A Life in Music, R. Larry Todd

The Life and Music of John Field, Patrick Piggott

Robert Schumann: The Life and Work of a Romantic Composer, Martin Geck

The Schumanns and Johannes Brahms: The Memoirs of Eugenie Schumann

Brahms: A Biography, Jan Swafford

Fryderyk Chopin: A Life and Times, Alan Walker

Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso Years | The Weimar Years | The Final Years, Alan Walker

Memoirs, Hector Berlioz

Wagner: As Man and Artist, Ernest Newman

Debussy: A Critical Biography, François Lesure

Ravel: Man and Musician, Abbie Orenstein

A Great Russian Tone-Poet: Scriabin, Arthur Hull

Sibelius: A Composer’s Life and the Awakening of Finland, Glenda Dawn Goss

Mahler: A Life, Jonathan Carr

Alban Berg: Music as Autobiography, Constantin Floros

Writings on Music: Russian and Soviet Music and Composers, Nicolas Slonimsky

Theme and Variations, Bruno Walter

Sergei Prokofiev: Diaries

Shostakovich: A Life, Laurel, E. Fay

Theory/Analysis

Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, C.P.E. Bach

Schumann on Music: A Selection from the Writings

Berlioz on Music: Selected Criticism 1824-1837

Treatise on Instrumentation, Hector Berlioz (rev. Richard Strauss)

Principles of Orchestration, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Style, Genre, and Meaning in Telemann’s Instrumental Works, Steven Zohn

The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Charles Rosen

Mozart and His Operas, David Cairns

Beethoven and His Nine Symphonies, George Grove

Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas, Boris Berman

Mahler: A Musical Physiognomy, Theodor Adorno

Retracing a Winter’s Journey: Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise”, Susan Youens

Schumann’s Piano Cycles and the Novels of Jean Paul, Erika Reiman

The Songs of Hugo Wolf, Eric Sams

Gustav Mahler and the Symphony of the 19th Century, Constantin Floros

A Study of Wagner | The Wagner Operas, Ernest Newman

Sound Figures of Modernity: German Music and Philosophy, Jost Hermand, Gerhard Richter

Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok

Style and Idea, Arnold Schönberg

Alban Berg: Master of the Smallest Link, Theodor Adorno

A Mammal’s Notebook: The Writings of Erik Satie

Richard Strauss and His World, Bryan Gilliam

Rounding Wagner’s Mountain: Richard Strauss and Modern German Opera, Bryan Gilliam

Olivier Messiaen: Journalism 1935-1939, Stephen Broad

Letters

Mozart: A Life in Letters | The Letters of W.A. Mozart: Vol. I, II

Beethoven’s Letters, Vol. I, II

Chopin’s Letters

Letters of Robert Schumann

The Complete Correspondence of Clara and Robert Schumann

Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt, Vol. I, II

The Life and Letters of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Modest Tchaikovsky

Antonín Dvořák: Letters and Reminiscences

Intimate Letters: Leos Janáček to Kamila Stösslová

Debussy’s Letters to Inghelbrecht

The Mahler Family Letters

Theodor W. Adorno & Alban Berg: Correspondence 1925-1935

Story of a Friendship: The Letters of Dmitry Shostakovich to Isaak Glikman

History

Music in the Middle Ages, Suzanne Lord

Music and Culture in Italy from the Middle Ages to the Baroque: A Collection of Essays, Nino Pirrotta

Music and the French Enlightenment: Rameau and the Philosophes in Dialogue, Cynthia Vera

Dance and Drama in French Baroque Opera: A History, Rebecca Harris-Warrick

Beyond Bach: Music and Everyday Life in the Eighteenth Century, Andrew Talle

Chamber Music: An Essential History, Mark A. Radice

Music and Literature in German Romanticism, Siobhán Donovan, Robin Elliot

Music in Vienna: 1700, 1800, 1900, David Wyn Jones

German Modernism: Music and the Arts, Walter Frisch

Debussy’s Paris: Piano Portraits of the Belle Époque, Catherine Kautsky

On Russian Music, Richard Taruskin

Russian Music and Nationalism: From Glinka to Stalin, Marina Frolova-Walker

Schönberg & Kandinsky: An Historic Encounter, Konrad Boehmer

Women and Music: A History, Karin Pendle

#Music #Ask

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asideofourown · 4 years

Text

Happy anniversary to the Good Omens TV show! I didn’t get the chance to write a fic specifically to celebrate (where did May go? Perhaps I’ll do something in June for my own go-versary), so instead here I am with 25 recs :D Thanks so much to @forineffablereasons for the bingo board (here is her original post)! And thanks so much to the Good Omens fandom for countless hours of incredible fic to read and enjoy <3 Obviously, this list barely scratches the surface of what’s out there, but here are some of my favorites!

A fic you’ve read several times: South Downs University series by @nieded

I’ve read this series probably... ten times, and I still love it. It fits (one of my absolute favorite) very niche categories with Crowley and Aziraphale being cryptid professors and utterly confusing their students, and i am HERE for it

A fic not abt Aziraphale and Crowley: Bridge over troubled water by @moondawntreader

LISTEN this fic is so good, I’ve read it probably four times and it’s incredible. Short, but so powerful in so few words. Leslie/Maud is the true otp ;D

A fic published before the show aired: Slytherin Vaguely Downwards by @saviobriion

This fic is really, really well-written, and does a fantastic job transporting many Good Omens characters into the HP universe in a way that works really well!

A fic you followed as a wip: on the same page by @thechekhov

Still a WIP, and still incredible! Az and Crowley as authors with their own Arrangement is already fantastic, but add in the fake-dating-while-pining-desperately? Incredible!

a human AU: secondhand smoke by @paintedvanilla

This is probably my favorite fic in the entire good omens fandom tbh... human au set in the 1990s, and so so so well done-- this is another fic I’ve read several times, and every time i notice something new. The characterization and prose is fantastic, the development of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship is really sweet and realistic, and this was also the fic that definitively got me on board for Newt/Anathema as well!

A fic shorter than 2k: For Holding by theycallmeDernhelm

Ahh this one is really soft! Post-apocalypse hand holding is my jam, and the author does a lovely job of saying so much in so few words <3

A fic you stayed up way too late reading: Not So Different by effing_gravity

I stayed up until maybe... three in the morning reading this fic? After every chapter I would tell myself to only read one more, but it was so gripping I read it all in one sitting! Reverse omens meets the canon husbands in a super interesting and thrilling fic!

A south downs fic: The consciousness of loving and being loved by yolkinthejump

This is like... the platonic ideal of a South Downs fic imo. The author does an absolutely incredible job of conveying the depth of their relationship, and it’s so sweet and soft and <3

A fic with a favorite trope: There goes the neighbourhood by @jasmine-cottage-uk

so technically I’m cheating because the ‘favorite trope’ in this one is ALSO south downs (like above), but. This fic is so funny, and the author does a great job of capturing Aziraphale and Crowley’s voices and the way the care for each other, it’s very sweet <3

A dowling years fic: Floriography by Frenchmeister

This fic is very cute! Excellent Dowling-era pining, complete with misunderstandings and veiled communications :D And the author does such a lovely job weaving the narrative to show Aziraphale and Crowley’s growing relationship

A historical fic: Phersu by JCutter

This fic. THIS FIC. Is so fucking incredibly detailed and immersive, oh my god. I’m still (admittedly) in the process of reading it, but it’s a GEM. The characterization is on point and the whole thing is beautifully written and wonderfully interesting! It’s super clear the author knew what they were writing about, and that knowledge and passion really shines through

A favorite canonverse fic: England's pleasant pastures seen by @heavens-bookshop

this fic is my JAM-- overhearing a conversation, implicit marriage proposals, post-canon sweetness... this one’s got it all! And, as with all of their fics, squiddz does an incredible job of writing Aziraphale and Crowley in character and so wonderfully in love <3

MY FIC: A Guide to Fame for the Enterprising Demon by me!

This is my favorite fic I’ve written for Good Omens, and quite possibly my favorite fic ever. Listen, Crowley getting accidentally famous is SO funny to me, as is outsider pov, so if I write about it a lot... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A fic that made you cry: reasons wretched and divine by @stammiviktor

Allison has been one of my favorite writers for a good long while, and this fic is just one of her amazing works. It’s touching and meaningful and so moving even in only a few thousand words, and between her characterization and writing style... this one packs a punch in the best of ways

A fic that inspires you: The Name of the Star is Wormwood by LusBeatha

So technically this could have gone up above, in the ‘stayed up too late reading’ category, because here’s another that was just too exciting to put down From beginning to end, the author does and incredible job connecting the past and present, and introducing characters in such an engaging way that, even though the fic is quite long, it goes by super fast. Probably my fave take on Raphael!Crowley :D

A fic you’d recommend to someone new to the fandom: Shotgun Wedding: sometimes a first date requires paperwork by @charlottemadison42

Still a wip, and absolutely amazing! Charlotte is an absolutely incredible author, and from the very beginning this fic does an amazing job of integrating canon characters (and even little nods and references to canon!) into an entirely different human au setting in a super engaging and clever way. 12/10 would recommend to someone new, and the slow burn is incredibly satisfying right up to the (current) resolution!

A comfort fic: it's a new craze by @areyougonnabe, [podfic] it's a new craze by @niceandaccuratetheatre

I’ve read this fic a few times, and it never gets old. attheborder’s humor is on point, and the conception itself- aziraphale and crowley on an advice podcast- is incredible! I would highly, highly recommend listening to the podfic if you can; it’s excellently performed, and in all honesty the podfic that got me onto podfics ;D

A fic that found you at the right time: two dad shaped beings by @jarchivism

i....... cannot express how much I love ineffable parents. And this fic seriously, seriously hits the spot. It’s super cute, super funny, and a really sweet and engaging read! The author did a lovely job with keeping Az and Crowley in character even as they raise the antichrist together

A fic you’d love to see as a movie: All's Fair In Love And Serial Killing by @wyvernquill

[Mind the tags] This fic does an incredible job of balancing darker content with humor. The whole story is fast-paced and exciting, keeping the suspense right up until the last moment, and the author does a fantastic job of constructing a satisfying ‘mystery!’ Most of all, the more morbid moments are countered by Wyvern’s clever writing style and narrative voice, making this fic interesting and even surprisingly fun!

A fic by a favorite author: Four Cups of Wine by borealowl

I really, really love this fic. The whole concept, of Aziraphale and Crowley getting to know a family of humans and learn about their cultural heritage through celebration is wonderful, and the author does a wonderful job of portraying the growth of their friendship! The entire series (both main fic and the one-shots that come after) is incredibly fun and interesting, and one of my faves in the fandom

A fic that made you laugh out loud: What's in a Name? by @rosen-ritter

The first time I read this I was in public, waiting at a car rental place for my grandparents. So the fact that I couldn’t stop laughing out loud was... honestly worth it. This series is so fucking funny from beginning to end, especially on reread, and has such a fun take on who the archangel Raphael really is ;D

A fic longer than 20k: Dad Omens by @pookaseraph

have I mentioned I love ineffable parents??? Because I really, really do. This fic is hilarious, sweet, and adorable, and I absolutely love the progression of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship as they raise Adam together-- and, despite not being human, raise him well :D An absolutely wonderful take on what if the baby swap had been even more confused?

A fic with the them: and i don't care if you don't want me (i'm yours anyhow) by @quidfree

The main focus of this fic is Warlock, but the Them are featured pretty heavily and in a really important way! It’s a lovely exploration of kids growing up and going to college, and learning who they really are, and written so well and with such nuance that I really couldn’t put it down!

A fic with a line you still remember: A More Nourishing Love by @qorktrees

This fic is just. Really powerful. It’s so, so clear how much Aziraphale and Crowley care for each other, how much they love and support each other, and their unconditional love for each other makes me tear up every time <3

A GO: Lockdown fic: New slang by @carishouldbesleeping

This fic is super super cute! A lovely take on Aziraphale and Crowley’s reunion post-lockdown, complete with fluff and love confessions <3 So well-written and absolutely adorable!

#good omens #ineffable husbands #fanfic #long post

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neverheardnothing · 4 years

Text

The Black Suits song ranking

Happy (late) Black Suits Day (eighteenth of September) y'all! Not that anyone asked but I have decided on my personal Black Suits song ranking. As always, I am very correct with my Joe Iconis music takes and will accept no criticism. Also I'm talking about 2013 here. Love yourself (and the work) and listen to 2013 instead of 2012 for better audio quality and a tighter book.

Spirit Song - I don't think anyone is surprised this is my top ranked song lol. "A melody only exists when someone hears, and the number one thing that I've learned through all my years. The fans and the family make the music strong, and the cheering is just as important as the song!" As Will describes it, it's a love letter to audiences (hey, that's me!) and when I listen to this song I'm always reminded of how much Joe believes in the message of this song, that the audience is part of the show.

Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang - [Joe Iconis voice] the language of the show. A lot of this list was influenced by not only how much I liked the song but by how well the songs functioned as extensions/expansions of the scene and the believability of that character singing the song. To me Bangx5 is one of the ultimate examples of this. The lyrics "there's a heavy metal hole where a soul used to be" like that's SO teenage angst and overdramatic just like Chris is supposed to be in this moment. I remember when I first heard the song I was like "is that it? Simple repeated [I am ___] lyrics for your act 1 finale? Seems a bit underwhelming even if it musically goes hard" but then after like another listen through of the show or so I realized that was the intention. When you're seventeen or so and you feel like your world is crashing down around you, sometimes the only way you can articulate it is "I am white boy rage, I am in a cage, I am bang bang bang bang bang bang bang." You are bang, you are loud crashing noises, your emotions are too loud and intense to be described with your limited vocabulary but you try anyways and fail. I love the contrast of the lyrics "I am chew my pens" and "I am hurt my friends" right next to each other. And the harmony at the end? Chefs fucking kiss.

Amphibian - This song is so goddamn fun. Like honestly. That’s it. Nato is chilling by himself and makes up a song about himself and his frog and it’s the best goddamn time in the show. You really get the feeling like these characters are actually friends. I love the “idiot” Nato vs “smart” Brandon. The “who cares about Beethoven. It’s a movie about a dog” joke never fails to make me laugh. When Brandon is expecting a regular bridge to the song and Nato whips out the falsetto and he goes “oh my God” like. Peak comedy here. And also Will Roland doing That? I’m in awe. Like this is what The Black Suits (the band) is, friends hanging out and having fun with music, that makes the next scene when the band formally break up so sad.

It's All Good - “So we’re cool and whatever?” It’s such a teenage boy thing to say. Like you want to acknowledge that you guys have been through something but at the same time you want to undercut it so you don’t run the risk of seeming too openly emotional. I’m also only very slightly bitter about that review that was like “oh wait so the only stakes of this show is the battle of the bands?” Like hello? Did you not see the show or listen to a single second of the finale? It’s about the way these characters communicate in their kinda inadequate ways and how they use music to express themselves. In a way it’s classic, cliche musical theater 101, with the characters unable to say what they feel with plain English so they resort to music, but of course with a Joe Iconis twist. The stakes aren’t the fucking battle of the band, it’s the friendship between the boys. It’s literally so obvious I want to scream. Anyways this song is fantastic way to end the show.

Car Ride To Long Beach - That's right. Car Ride To Long Beach is 5th place. I'm only very slightly bitter about the review that was like "is fried chicken REALLY the deciding factor in going on a drug run?" And by slightly bitter I mean this person goes on the list of people I want to beat up for being so fucking wrong about a Joe show. No, you fucking fool, that's not actually the deciding factor. She's at least on the fence, if not already secretly decided yes, about it from the moment he asks. It's about the company, it's about the road trip, it's about breaking the rules after having been "good" for so long. I am so adamant that this song is about desire and thrill and guilt and wanting to be seen for who you are and not just John saying obscene things. Like take the dialogue exchange right before she finally vocally says yes. "What do I look like right now?" "Uh. You look like... Lisa?" "... Alright let's go." Like tell me that does not drive you fucking crazy after Lisa's constant questions about others perception of her and trying to figure out who she is herself. Car Ride To Long Beach is good you guys are just mean.

Social Worker - Another example of an incredibly fitting character song. The refusal and reluctance of a teenage boy to admit that he actually needs or gets mental health help. I love the music-ification of a panic attack as loud drums and electric guitar. "I don't really go to the social worker," he says, as he goes to the social worker. It’s truly hilariously, heartbreakingly fitting for his character.

The Answer - When that Things To Ruin reviewer said Joe is a master of putting commonly shared moments to music no one else has done before, they were right. Who HASN’T taken a test and failed it so utterly they started questioning their entire life and worried for their future before? I love the repeated lyric questions like John is sitting there reading the question over and over trying to figure out what the answer is. I love the synthy keyboard. Fantastic choice @ Charlie Rosen.

Band-Aids and Cigarettes - Oh this song is so good I feel guilty about putting it at 8. It’s like honestly heartbreaking, not being able to give what the other person needs and being aware of it. And the unconventionality of it being sung by the mentor character instead of a love interest or something.

The Feeling (Part 1 and 2) - Yeah I’m combining them into one song and also assuming the entire beach/Chris & Mrs. Werring conversation is part of the song, too, with the interlude of the “I just want something good to happens.” This song is a jam, plain and simple. I love the absolutely terrible advice that Mrs. Werring gives Chris. “You got to push all your worries inside of yourself, and then they’ll mix creating a combustible boom.” Awful! But Annie Golden sings it so well. And it makes Band-Aids and Cigarettes later that much more sad. In part 2, I love how interconnected the two conversations are. “Just breathe them in -> I love the beach.” The synchronous “I don’t even remember why I liked him/her in the first place.” The score here having the Spirit Song melody. Also now feels like a good time to bring up my Lisa Bred is nonbinary headcanon (though it’s practically textual canon) with “I’m not a girl, I’m a song.” Like that right there, she literally states she’s not a girl, and that’s just the most obvious part. Twice before now, she’s asked people about how they perceive her (“what do I look like right now?” “my girlfriend?” / “Lisa”) and her arc in this show up to this point is discovering more about herself and trying new things. She’s aware of societal gender norms (“isn’t that what boyfriend girlfriends are supposed to do?”) and how she doesn’t really fit in with them. She’s experimenting with expressing herself (dyeing her hair blue, photography). Like it’s all right there. I don’t know if Joe was intentionally writing a nonbinary character figuring herself out but that’s what I get when I read the text straight. In Lisa’s mind, John is one of the gateways to trying new things (“you give me this feeling”) and then that blends right into the rest of The Feeling and it’s so fucking GOOD. I love this song.

Blue Hair - The OG Joe Iconis viral song! I love the music song of this song so much, specifically the guitar/piano riff. I love the multiple sources of motivation of doing it, from actually wanting to try something different, to getting a reaction from Chris and John, even if she denies that last part. And then again at the end of the song with her self-awareness. She’s doing something to stand out/express herself! I love it.

Nato's Song - A six minute clusterfuck of a song and it’s beautiful. Sticking to the actual Nato stuff right now, I think it’s a pretty clever way of passing time and seeing how it’s affecting him and everyone else in the show. With the interspersed content of other characters, it really is the musical equivalent of a film montage. I love seeing Chris’ further breakdown in the form of voicemails to his dad. The music of Blue Hair, Old Records, and Rather Be coming back is fucking great. Everyone is just struggling in this song and it’s great.

Rock 'N Roll Band (Reprise) - I love this re-introduction song so much and the differences between it and the original. I love the chaoticness of the solos all going at the same time. I love the cut Geek Rock Garage King still making in into the show as Brandon’s bridge and how out of place it is with the rest of the song musically but yet it’s still in it. I love the a capella break with Mrs. Werring cheering them on.

Old Records - The fact that John plays the guitar as Chris sings it for someone to hear is so good. When he gets affirmation that John likes the song, he continues. And it’s only after being called out about his writing revealing things about him that Chris feels bad about the song again and claims that they were just dummy lyrics. Once John leaves the backing music comes back on like glockenspiel or something and I love the lightness of it combined with the electric guitar that comes in after.

Black Suit On - I know we’re at like 3/4ths through but I honestly love this song. I love all the songs so much. This ranking honestly barely matters because I love all the songs in this show. I love the (unrealistic) idea of finally being able to be your best self, of all your problems going away, if only something symbolic but ultimately inconsequential thing were to happen. It’s about the (shared) vision for a different future than the one you’re currently living! (By the way I am so haunted by Jen Tepper saying this song was actually about LIHN. Like does anyone know what that means? Do I fundamentally misunderstand this song or LIHN? I don’t get the connection.)

Lisa - Once again, the relatability. Who hasn’t felt like they were good enough for another person? I love the specificity of the AOL verse. It’s so late 2000s. And the rest of the lyrics are so angsty and overdramatic as John is. Specifically in the context of the show this song really hurts after Lisa tells him she can’t fix whatever issues are wrong with him.

Rock 'N Roll Band - I love how the entire song is so what teenagers going through school, waiting for life to change, and seeking refuge in the only place where they feel like they are important and can be themselves. I love all their intros. I love Brandon going way too hard on the drums. “I’m gonna scream and shout, knock you out. I’m gonna conquer the world, get the girl. I’m gonna get some respect, finally connect. When I take a stand, with my rock ‘n roll band.” The extreme vividness of the type of stuck they feel here is so good and it’s a good summary of the show.

Pop Tarts - I love that this song is still called Pop Tarts despite all references to it having been removed except for one dialogue. I love the section of Chris’ vision for the band. The pre-reprise of the beginning of It’s All Good with “we’re cool and whatever?” and all of them joining in and getting on the same page. We love some boys just absolutely barely capable of communicating with each other with words.

Song In My Head/Only Person In The World - The absolute irony and poetry of John singing “I’m the only person in the world” and Chris singing about how everyone is gone when this is a duet. It’s literally so fucking good. When they both sing “I’m the only person in the world” at the same time? Are you kidding me? And this song is ranked 18th? Truly every song in this show is top tier.

Rather Be - This song is rather on the nose in its message, everyone would rather be at band rehearsal. It’s a solid song that helps us get into each of their characters more (“rather be where my buddies / now the same bands / and tolerate my drum fills” / “where my brothas like that I’m weird / and ask to see my squid impression” / “because we’ve only got a little while to get fantastic and get some style / if we do it soon then I won’t have to go to college” / “christ I’d rather be anywhere / but sitting trapped here taking this asshole test”). I love it when characters in shows all have different reasons for singing the same lines.

McFly Is Looking For A Drummer - Rip to this song, being ranked last. It’s not that I don’t like it because I actually do. Again, I just love all the songs in this show. He’s trying to communicate in his own way, which happens to be in music references, but that’s not how other people around him understand, and so he sees this opportunity to be with people who are more like him, but then he he gets scared that he wouldn’t fit in the way he hopes he would, which would be even worse than where he’s currently at where he knows that they don’t quite get him but are his friends anyways. I love that one moment where he drops out singing. It’s very reminiscent of in Michael In The Bathroom when you expect him to sing the title words but he doesn’t, so your brain fills it in for you. It functions a bit differently than that moment does in BMC though. I think in this song it’s the comparison of how he’s currently treated with the possibility of what McFly represents, that he could have the exact opposite experience there, that he’s imagining all the possibilities in that moment. Lol, ranked 20 and I still have so many things to say about this song.

#teresa talks #the black suits #tbs #my posts #long post #i s2g i am so goddamn full of joe iconis lore and thoughts about his shows that it's Concerning #also lisa is nonbinary like that literally Is the surface level reading of the text i cant believe no one ever talks about that #by the way im being sarcastic about Being Right on all my takes if you cant tell except the one about car ride to long beach im dead fucking #serious about that one. insult this song and ill end you #and i choose to read the 'punk-y not lesbian-y' line as in de-bi-al (in bi denial)#and for real start listening to 2013 over 2012 i promise the ben platt isnt worth all that much #i am Struggling on this post sorry if u keep seeing me post it and delete it lol #this one stays up for real tho idc if theres any problems with it #edit: motherfucker it doesnt show up in the black suits tag lol #also i dont go on stan twitter if nonbinary lisa is a stale take im sorry ive never seen it here tho

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storiescrafted-a · 4 years

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MUSE INFO — MELODY ‘MELLIE’ MARGARET GRANT.

formerly found at: politicalgenius.

triggers that may apply: death, loss, grief, child death, depression, alcoholism, overdose, attempted suicide, sexual assault, infidelity, abuse. to be expanded upon as i think of more but hi she deserves hugs and a break.

all information outlined below is based in the latest possible information ( though some still has to be updated as i rewatch ), and can vary by verse. a lot of it is headcanon based, and has developed over my time writing mellie, because she deserves the world and this garbage show really only gave her pain and zero (0) friends / people she could trust.

NOTE: mellie has views that not all will agree with or like. these don’t reflect my own feelings, thoughts, or opinions, and anything that may come up will simply be me attempting to stay true to who my girl is!

BORN: melody margaret eaves*. PLACE OF BIRTH: asheville, north carolina. DATE OF BIRTH: december 5th, 1966; age — 53. EYE COLOR: blue. HAIR COLOR: brown. PARENTS: beau eaves (father, estranged)*. evelyn baker eaves (mother, deceased)*. SIBLINGS: harmony eaves (half-sister, somewhat estranged). SPOUSE: fitzgerald ‘fitz’ thomas grant iii (divorced). CHILDREN: fitzgerald ‘jerry’ thomas grant iv (deceased, 2014), karen grant, theodore wallace grant. EDUCATION: harvard undergrad, yale law. PAST OCCUPATIONS: attorney, first lady of california, first lady of the united states, junior senator from virginia. CURRENT OCCUPATION: 45th president of the united states. POLITICAL PARTY: republican. SECRET SERVICE CODENAME: foxtail. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: she’s a lesbian, harold.

QUICK FACTS THAT MOST WOULD KNOW!

graduated top of her class from both harvard for her undergrad, and from yale law.

former partner at a prestigious california law firm, a job she gave up to help fitz get elected governor.

while mellie is a republican, it’s been noted that she’s the most progressive republican president in over 100 years, and is pro-lqbt+, pro-immigration, pro-choice, and has notably pushed through legislation for stricter gun control, and worked toward middle eastern peace.

tbh she’s only a republican bc fitz is and she for political and image reasons she had to match him.

wrote a ‘tell all’ book about her time as first lady, though only bits of it were published in a ‘leak’ in an attempt to get her better footing as a presidential candidate.

was the first person to air information about fitz’s affair with olivia pope ( though she didn’t leak olivia’s name ).

ex-wife of 44th president of the united states, fitzgerald ‘fitz’ grant iii.

once she filibustered for 16 hours on the eve of the christmas holidays to save planned parenthood bc a man told her not to / bc her convictions are so good and i love her.

her son, jerry, died during fitz’s second campaign and she spent three months in a deep depression, where she was regularly attacked by the press for regularly visiting his grave in her pajamas. * this led to a stalwart fight both as a senator and as president to support mental health and discussions and destigmatization of as many aspects of mental illness as she’s able, particularly as depression is something she’s dealt with her whole life.

she didn’t win the presidential election, she lost to frankie vargas, who was assassinated almost immediately after being announced as the winner. mellie was elected by the electoral college over cyrus beene.

her chief of staff was initially olivia pope, until mellie forced her to resign.

her original pick for vp was jake ballard, who was blackmailed out of the position and replaced by frankie vargas’ widow, luna. luna died the evening of mellie’s inauguration and was replaced by cyrus beene.

olivia was replaced as chief of staff by jake ballard, who tried to push mellie out of office with the aid of cyrus beene.

jake was later arrested and sent to a maximum security prison, and cyrus was forced by olivia to resign as vp.

was under suspicion of plotting to kill cyrus beene while he was her vice president, though this was found to be a plot by cyrus to unseat her and get his shot at the oval.

underwent impeachment hearings during her first year in office, though they were later found to be under false pretenses presented by jake ballard.

i headcanon that she convinces susan ross, who ran against her for president, to come on as vp; and abby whelan, who worked previously as fitz’s chief of staff, to come on as her chief of staff, as cyrus resigned, jake was imprisoned, and olivia refused to come back on. * this all depends on plotting bc depending on who i’m writing with, things here could easily change

also this isn’t necessarily crucial to mellie, but david rosen definitely didn’t die and is helping mellie to restore her public image post impeachment-hearings thank u.

near the end of her presidency, mellie does a press conference where comes out as a lesbian and announces proposed initiatives to improve lgbtq+ support nationwide, and she works hard to implement them before her last term is up.

in her main verse, post-presidency she moves to new york city to live with her best friend and fellow lesbian, minerva allory (@crimscnmalice), and her friendship with min in general is included heavily in mellie’s main default verse and it’s not something that’s at all secret so people Know they’re best friends and it’s soft and cute and Fine.

FACTS THAT PRIVILEGED PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW!

her marriage to fitz was arranged for political benefit, as mellie’s father came from old money so her name was ‘good’.

had an affair with former vice president andrew nichols.

was a part of the team that conspired to rig voting machines in defiance county, ohio in order to get fitz elected, along with olivia pope, verna thorton, hollis doyle, and cyrus beene ( commonly referred to as ‘defiance’ ).

her son was murdered by a secret service agent under orders from olivia’s father, rowan pope.

was in a flirtatious relationship with president farid rashad of bashran before he was killed by olivia pope via her b613 ( an underground spy organization, now dismantled ) resources.

she legitimately has mason jars of moonshine made by her family stashed around the white house and she’s a barely-functional alcoholic and needs hugs.

#* out of character ┊ muse info.#* in character ┊ mellie grant.#i need to develop things abt her parents a lil bit more and generally flesh things out during this rewatch but hi hello #i adore melody margaret grant?? she's my angel and i'd die for her

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lovepersists2 · 5 years

Photo

MUSE INFO — MELODY ‘MELLIE’ MARGARET GRANT.

formerly found at: politicalgenius.

BORN: melody margaret eaves*. PLACE OF BIRTH: asheville, north carolina. DATE OF BIRTH: december 5th, 1966; age — 53. EYE COLOR: blue. HAIR COLOR: brown. PARENTS: beau eaves (father, estranged)*. evelyn baker eaves (mother, deceased)*. SIBLINGS: harmony eaves (half-sister, somewhat estranged). SPOUSE: fitzgerald thomas grant iii (divorced). CHILDREN: fitzgerald ‘jerry’ thomas grant iv (deceased, 2014), karen grant, theodore wallace grant. EDUCATION: harvard undergrad, yale law. PAST OCCUPATIONS: attorney, first lady of california, first lady of the united states, junior senator from virginia. CURRENT OCCUPATION: 45th president of the united states. POLITICAL PARTY: republican. SECRET SERVICE CODENAME: foxtail. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: she’s a lesbian, harold.

QUICK FACTS THAT MOST WOULD KNOW!

graduated top of her class from both harvard for her undergrad, and from yale law.

former partner at a prestigious california law firm, a job she gave up to help fitz get elected governor.

tbh she’s only a republican bc fitz is and she for political and image reasons she had to match him.

wrote a ‘tell all’ book about her time as first lady, though only bits of it were published in a ‘leak’ in an attempt to get her better footing as a presidential candidate.

was the first person to air information about fitz’s affair with olivia pope ( though she didn’t leak olivia’s name ).

ex-wife of 44th president of the united states, fitzgerald ‘fitz’ grant iii.

once she filibustered for 16 hours on the eve of the christmas holidays to save planned parenthood bc a man told her not to / bc her convictions are so good and i love her.

her son, jerry, died during fitz’s second campaign and she spent three months in a deep depression, where she was regularly attacked by the press for regularly visiting his grave in her pajamas.

her chief of staff was initially olivia pope, until mellie forced her to resign.

olivia was replaced as chief of staff by jake ballard, who tried to push mellie out of office with the aid of cyrus beene.

jake was later arrested and sent to a maximum security prison, and cyrus was forced by olivia to resign as vp.

was under suspicion of plotting to kill cyrus beene while he was her vice president, though this was found to be a plot by cyrus to unseat her and get his shot at the oval.

underwent impeachment hearings during her first year in office, though they were later found to be under false pretenses presented by jake ballard.

also this isn’t necessarily crucial to mellie, but david rosen definitely didn’t die and is helping mellie to restore her public image post impeachment-hearings thank u.

post-presidency she moves to new york city to live with her best friend and fellow lesbian, minerva allory (@crimscnmalice), and her friendship with min in general is included heavily in mellie’s main default verse and it’s not something that’s at all secret so people Know they’re best friends and it’s soft and cute and Fine.

FACTS THAT PRIVILEGED PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW!

her marriage to fitz was arranged for political benefit, as mellie’s father came from old money so her name was ‘good’.

had an affair with former vice president andrew nichols.

her son was murdered by a secret service agent under orders from olivia’s father, rowan pope.

was in a flirtatious relationship with president farid rashad of bashran before he was killed by olivia pope via her b613 ( an underground spy organization, now dismantled ) resources.

she legitimately has mason jars of moonshine made by her family stashed around the white house and she’s a barely-functional alcoholic and needs hugs.

#muse. ┊ mellie grant!#ooc. ┊ info post!#verses incoming eventually #her life??? is??? tragic and she overcomes sO MUCH and i love and am proud of her every day thanks #and i'm trying something New with main muse graphics so we'll see how i end up liking it sehusrtudut #long post //#potential trigger //#i'll update this more as necessary and will make posts to note any changes!!

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heereandthere · 5 years

Text

~A Massive Thank You to @bemorechillmusical~

As I’m sure all of you know, today marks a bittersweet ending to a glorious journey: “Be More Chill” has officially finished its 5-month Broadway run. I’m really sad to see it ride off into the sunset so soon, but I’m also really proud of everyone who has made this show what it is today and helped so many people get out of very bad places. This show means so much to so many people, and though it’s disappointing to see it being taken away, it’s remarkable that everyone made it this far.

Thank you, “Be More Chill”, for introducing me to theatre and helping me find a place where I really belong, for guiding me to an outlet for the stresses of the world. This show helped me discover that the root of my issues was having no way to project by introducing me to the world of drama because “it seemed fun”, which led to some of my fondest memories. I now volunteer frequently at my local theatre, and, since I was also helped in figuring out what path I want to choose in life, I have wild dreams of making my Broadway debut.

Thank you, “Be More Chill”, for being there for me when I felt the most lost. When I first found this show is when a lot of emotional issues began to worsen for me, and I remember very fondly how BMC became, much like theatre, an outlet for all of those problems. I was having difficulties with my friends that I didn’t understand or could articulate properly, which made Michael’s story, in particular catch my eye; “Michael in the Bathroom” always helped me with a healthy cry, and flashing back to songs like “Two-Player Game” always put a smile on my face when I needed it.

Thank you, “Be More Chill”, for changing my life with only one performance and making a birthday I was secretly dreading one of the best ones possible. This was the very first Broadway show I had ever seen and, thanks to my amazing family, I was able to see it on the day I encountered a very big birthday that would change the course of my life. I was terrified of this day and, honestly, there was a part of me that just wanted to hole up in my house for the weekend and let it come and go. But, I wound up doing the exact opposite, and for those two hours I spent watching Jeremy’s story play out, I was convinced that things were going to be perfectly fine. The fears I had about fighting for my spot on Broadway and the troubles that would come with it dissipated, and I felt completely comfortable in my skin for the first time in I didn’t know how long. Being at the Lyceum made everything feel perfectly alright, and, in the words of the wise Evan Hansen, it gave me a reason to believe I’ll be okay.

Thank you, Will Roland and Jeremy Heere, for teaching me that, no matter how much I may dislike myself or how bad my anxieties get, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel and the best person for me to be is myself. There will always be voices in my head telling me ridiculous things, but there’s only one me, and I need to embrace this me and enjoy life while I still can.

Thank you, George Salazar and Michael Mell, for making me smile when I needed it most while also showing me that it doesn’t matter whether or not the world is watching. You taught me that self-love does not equal narcissism and is pivotal to living your best life, and that the condescending looks from your peers don’t matter as long as you’re being your best self.

Thank you, Stephanie Hsu and Christine Canigula, for teaching me that a little weird in this world is a good thing. It’s okay to be quirky, especially when things seem the worst, and oftentimes being odd is the best way to be. Times are confusing and scary and I may feel pensive about letting my inhibitions go, but sometimes letting loose and making some of the most obscure noises known by humankind is what can do you best.

Thank you, Katlyn Carlson and Chloe Valentine, for teaching me that confidence is possible, even when it feels like you have to fake it. Other people being self-confident and happy is not a comment on me and my progress, and even if it may take me a bit longer to reach that station in life, if I can break away from that negative mindset, I’ll be able to achieve a pure confidence in myself one day.

Thank you, Lauren Marcus and Brooke Lohst, for teaching me that I’m strong and deserve better than to be walked all over. I don’t have to take toxic behavior on the chin and wear it, because my mental health and feelings are just as crucial to care for as anyone else’s. I am no one else’s toy, and no one has any right to use me and expect me to stay when they hurt me.

Thank you, Tiffany Mann and Jenna Rolan, for teaching me that my voice matters, too. I shouldn’t let people take advantage of me for one exclusive thing, no matter what it is, and that friendship is a two-way street of effort. I’m important despite what the behavior of other people may lead me to believe, and I’m allowed to leave relationships if they’re toxic to me. I’m allowed to speak out against what I don’t believe in.

Thank you, Gerard Canonico and Rich Goranski, for teaching me that I do have a say in who I want to be. No matter what mold society tries to place me in, it is possible for me to break that and fight to be my own person, with all of my quirks and peculiarities in the mix. If people don’t like who I really am, it may hurt, but that’s okay because as long as I’m living my best life, it doesn’t matter.

Thank you, Britton Smith and Jake Dillinger, for teaching me that vulnerability isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I don’t have to suppress my thoughts and feelings for other people, and it’s okay to open up about what’s bothering me. I’m never alone, no matter how barren my life feels, and it’s worth it in the long run to confide in someone, anyone. It’s okay.

Thank you, Jason Tam and the squip, for teaching me that my inner voices are intimidating and controlling, but don’t define who I am, as long as I put up a fight. I don’t always have to listen to what my brain tells me because, even if it is an extension of me, there are times when it’s wrong and irrational, and so if I assert myself and keep my true self in mind, it’s possible to deny my mind the luxury of hurting me.

Thank you, Jason Sweettooth Williams and Mr. Heere (and, of course, Mr. Reyes and the Scary Stockboy), for teaching me that sometimes you have to defy what your emotions tell you and stand up for your loved ones. It may feel like my problems control me, but it’s always okay and even encouraged to stand up and fight back, especially in the name of those you care about. Recovery is possible.

Thank you, Cameron Bond, Troy Iwata, Morgan Siobhan Green, Anthony Chatmon III, Joel Waggoner, and Talia Suskauer for working so incredibly hard on this show and in memorizing all of your roles, prepared to go on at a moment’s notice. You’ve fought for this just as hard as anyone else, and you deserve all of the respect and credit in the world for the times you’ve stepped up and absolutely killed it on both the Signature and Lyceum stages.

Thank you, Ned Vizzini, for creating a book that would come to inspire so many in such a great way, and for giving us the courage to stand up and be ourselves through the whole ordeal that is adolescence. This musical and this community wouldn’t exist without you and your work, and you laid the groundwork for what all of this would become. None of us would be here if it weren’t for your creation.

Thank you, Joe Iconis, Joe Tracz, Stephen Brackett, Chase Brock, Beowulf Boritt, Bobby Frederick Tilly, Tyler Micoleau, Ryan Rumery, Alex Bosco Koch, Dave Bova, Charlie Rosen, Emily Marshall, Michael Aarons, J. David Brimmer, Amanda Michaels, and every other intern, backstage worker, and stage managers for creating a show that has made me laugh, cry, and felt like I’m where I need to be, for creating a show that has helped me find a community of amazing people, both locally and online, and helped me feel like I was a little less alone. I know there are thousands of people just like me who say these same things, but I have no idea where I would be if it weren’t for this show, and I feel like I’m a better person for having found it.

Congratulations on an amazing comeback and a fantastic Broadway run, and I wish every single person who ever worked on this show the very best. It’s been an honor watching you get where you are today. I look forward to seeing you guys making theatre headlines once more very soon.

~Sincerely, Me

#heere says things #be more chill

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daresplaining · 5 years

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Who are your favourite DD villains? Fisk, Bullseye and Mr Fear all sound brilliant from what I know of them, but are there any others with similarly iconic influence on Matt?

There are! Daredevil comics aren’t known for their well-crafted villains to the extent that, say, Spider-Man or Batman comics are, but I really enjoy a lot of Matt’s rogues gallery. Fisk and Bullseye are probably the two biggest names, but there are many others who have had major impacts on his life, and the Marvel Universe in general, over the years. Here are some of the most notable DD villains, in my opinion:

Gladiator (Melvin Potter) is a major antagonist who, over the years has become arguably one of the most nuanced and interesting Daredevil characters. I wrote a longer post about him, way back when we thought we might actually get a Gladiator origin story in the Netflix show, but in general, a lot of his lasting appeal comes from the complexity of his character. When he was first introduced in Daredevil vol. 1 #18 he was a pretty standard Silver Age villain: a guy with semi-logical origin story, a funky costume, and a penchant for monologuing. Specifically, Melvin Potter was the owner of a costume store who was sick of being disrespected by his customers, and so decided to make a name for himself by attacking people with spinning blades.

[ID: A panel from Lee’s Daredevil run. Daredevil is battling the Gladiator. Daredevil hoists himself up on a big crate to dodge one of the Gladiator’s spinning wrist blades.]

Matt: “He’s not fooling with those wrist blades… he’s fighting for real! But, why? I’m certain I’ve never met him before!”

Melvin: “You can’t keep dodging me forever! And the moment you slip, you shall have the honor of being my first victim!”

Daredevil vol. 1 #18 by Stan Lee, John Romita, and Sam Rosen

Over the years, various writers have worked hard to add nuance to his character. Despite his fearsome appearance and goal of gaining respect, most early Gladiator stories involve Melvin being manipulated by stronger, smarter supervillains. Later, he becomes even more sympathetic: a dangerous killer who, at heart, is gentle and naive and hates when he loses control and hurts people. This creates an inherent discord in his character that adds an emotional hook to all of his stories. Matt tries to help him, and Melvin is grateful for Matt’s friendship and returns that favor when he can, but sometimes they end up having to fight each other. Essentially, Melvin’s story is the relentless tragedy of a man who wants to live a peaceful life but keeps falling victim to his own demons and the cruelty of the world around him.

[ID: A page from Miller’s Daredevil run. Matt Murdock, in civvies (a tan suit and blue tie) confronts Melvin Potter, who is in a prison uniform and holding his Gladiator helmet.]

Matt: “Melvin, we’ve come so far. I know how much you want to be well… to go straight. We can help you, Betsy and I.”

Melvin: “I been trying, Matt. I been sitting in that courtroom, listening to them say those things about me, feeling my guts churn up, wanting to rip them all to pieces… They hate me. They all hate me… so I’m gonna hate them back!”

Matt: “I’m not letting you off that easy. If you want to become the Gladiator again, you’ll have to get past me.”

Melvin: “Past you?! Look at you– you’re just a skinny little blind guy! I’d break you in half! It’d be easy…”

Matt: “Is that what you want?”

Melvin: “Why not? I’m the Gladiator! The Gladiator! When I’m wearing my armor, I’m unbeatable, I’m…”

[ID: Melvin throws the helmet and falls to his knees.]

Melvin: “I’m all alone. Help me… please…”

Daredevil vol. 1 #173 by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Glynis Wein

This complicated and heartwrenching characterization has helped Melvin to remain a fresh and popular antagonist (anti-hero, even) and a regular guest in Daredevil. He is one of several characters who complicates the hero/villain dichotomy, and thereby both emphasizes and challenges Matt’s own heroism.

Typhoid Mary/Mary Walker is another one of the more famous Daredevil villains, and someone who has had a significant impact on Matt’s story over the years. I wrote a longer post on her as well. Female antagonists in particular seem to suffer from a variety of weaknesses in their depictions, and Typhoid– as a sexual character by nature, as well as someone who plays upon “crazy” villain tropes– has had her share of not great depictions over the years. However, at her core, she is a wonderfully compelling character and a dangerous villain who is literally multifaceted by design. Even moreso than Melvin Potter, Mary plays upon the concept of a good person who is powerless to prevent themself from doing violent things– in Mary’s case, through genuinely having multiple psyches inhabiting one body. She is in constant conflict with herself, as gentle Mary and bloodthirsty Typhoid battle for dominance. As much as she is an antagonist to Matt and the other heroes whose paths she crosses, she is her own arch-enemy.

[ID: An excerpt from Nocenti’s Daredevil run. Typhoid Mary and Daredevil are both underwater, in the East River. Mary looked panicked partway through strangling Daredevil, and flees out of the water.]

Mary/Typhoid: “Don’t kill him! You! Shut up! I love him! Stop! Get out of my head! You can’t kill him! Get out of my head! Oh, god! Where am I? Why am I dressed like this? What have I done?!”

Matt: “Curious. That’s a completely different woman running away! What came over her?”

Daredevil vol. 1 #256 by Ann Nocenti, John Romita Jr., and Christie Scheele

Matt’s dealings with Mary have brought about some of the more unheroic moments in his career. In Joe Kelly’s attempt to integrate the Man Without Fear-verse origin story into the 616 universe, he proposed that Matt nearly killed Mary on his first superhero outing. When Typhoid, in her introductory arc, is hired to seduce Matt, it works– he cheats on Karen with her. Later, when attempting to bring down the Kingpin’s empire, Matt removes Mary from the equation by sleeping with her to get her guard down and then forging documents to have her locked away in a psychiatric hospital. She hits all of his weak points: as Mary, she is a victim who needs rescuing… and an attractive one at that. As Typhoid, she is a dangerous enemy who must be stopped. In addition to her skill with weapons, she has all kinds of awesome psychic powers– including, most notably, pyrokinesis– and something about her physiology messes with Matt’s senses and makes her difficult to fight. She is a challenge on every level, and in many ways, Matt serves the same purpose for her– Mary (and, arguably, Typhoid as well) accidentally falls in love with him, representing a loss of power and control that she can’t stand.

[ID: Excerpt from Nocenti’s Daredevil run. A series of panels alternating between Daredevil falling off a bridge and a tear sliding down Typhoid Mary’s cheek.]

Daredevil vol. 1 #260 by Ann Nocenti, John Romita Jr., and Christie Scheele

The Hand I love the Hand– which is to say, I love the Chaste, and part of why I love the Chaste is because I love their rivalry with the Hand. On some levels, the Hand are your standard Big Bad Secret Organization, but I also find them to be a lot of fun, and they have been a significant force in Daredevil comics since they were introduced. The Hand are key players in Miller’s updated version of Matt’s origin, which introduced Stick and gave him a purpose for training Matt. They also had a huge role in Elektra’s origin, since her attempt to singlehandedly bring them down from the inside led to her becoming an assassin. And of course, Matt’s role as leader of the Hand and temporary vessel for their patron demon, the Beast, was a defining moment in recent DD comics and a low point of Matt’s career. The Hand are dangerous because they are vast, and their high-ranking members have all kinds of cool powers, which I love. And there’s also a certain amount of weakness and dysfunction to the Hand that makes them appealing. They are a once-great organization relegated to being mercenaries-for-hire. Their low-ranking members are fairly weak– as Matt quips in Volume 1 #380, “a little harsh language and [they’re] up in smoke!” They were led by a Skrull (disguised as Elektra) for a while, and didn’t even notice. Arguably their most dangerous enemy, Master Izo, mostly just bothers them with Hand puns.

[ID: A panel from Diggle’s Daredevil run. Daredevil, seen from the back, is standing in an empty room. The light from the sunset streams in through the windows. Izo is sitting behind him on the floor, drinking tea.]

Matt: “Look, you wanted me leading the Hand, you got it… but I never agreed to be your puppet.”

Izo: “‘Hand puppet.’ Heh.”

Daredevil vol. 2 #503 by Andy Diggle, Roberto De La Torre, Marco Checchetto, and Matt Hollingsworth

I also enjoy the way the Hand and the Chaste operate and Matt’s relationship with them. Matt isn’t an official member of the Chaste (like Elektra, he was rejected for being too emotional– which, in his case at least, is a fair assessment) but he still teams up with them on occasion, and the experience almost always puts him out of his depth in really entertaining ways. Matt is one of the Hand’s biggest enemies and one of the Chaste’s most useful allies, so he gets dragged into their business even when he doesn’t want to be involved.

[ID: Excerpt from Daredevil: Ninja. A conversation between Daredevil and Stone in a series of face close-ups.]

Stone: “We need your help.”

Matt: “You should have asked me to come.”

Stone: “Would you have?”

Matt: “I hate this ninja crap. I hate it. Every single time it’s nothing but lies, half-truths, and misguided loyalties. Stay away from me and my life.”

Daredevil: Ninja #2 by Brian Michael Bendis, Rob Haynes, and David Self

There are also two excellent (and, I’d say, influential) alternate universes in which Matt joins the Hand and thrives in their presence: What If? Daredevil vs. Elektra and Earth-65 (Spider-Gwen-verse).

Lady Bullseye (Maki Matsumoto) And if we’re discussing the Hand and the Chaste, I have to mention Maki– undisputed head of the Bullseye Fan Club and another of my favorite Daredevil villains. She’s relatively new (she was introduced during Brubaker’s run) and so hasn’t had a particularly big long-term influence on Matt, but she is a great character with extensive connections to Daredevil history. One thing I love about her is the fact that while she modeled her look and identity on Bullseye, she isn’t treated as just female version of him, as her name might suggest. They actually have very little in common; she just chose to honor Bullseye because he played a role in her origin story by indirectly rescuing her from a human trafficking ring.

[ID: Panels from Brubaker’s Daredevil run. Bullseye is single-handedly beating up a bunch of gun-toting mobsters in a warehouse building. Maki Matsumoto watches him between the bars of a large cage.]

Caption: “She remembers that so vividly. Remembers the joy she beheld that day from her cage. She had never seen anything so beautiful, she thought. Of course, she was nearly insane already by then. But then, like a miracle… freedom.”

[ID: Maki reaches between the bars of the cage and grabs a key from a dead mobster’s pocket. As she tries to escape, another mobster runs toward her.]

Man: “You– back in your cage, girl!”

Maki: “I think not.”

[ID: Without looking at him, she slices his throat with the key.]

Daredevil vol. 2 #111 by Ed Brubaker, Clay Mann, and Matt Hollingsworth

Since then, Maki has teamed up with Bullseye– mostly notably, resurrecting and caring for him after his death in “Shadowland”– but more often, she operates on her own as an assassin. Like both Elektra and Matt, she was trained by the Hand and the Chaste without forming an official allegiance with either, and it seems her primary teacher was Master Izo– thus making her Matt and Elektra’s ninja aunt and/or sister in the Chaste Family Tree that definitely exists in my head and nowhere else.

[ID: Excerpt from Brubaker’s Daredevil run. Lady Bullseye and Izo are standing on a Manhattan rooftop as the sky brightens behind them. Pigeons are flocking around them; Izo has one perched on his hand.]

Maki: “You said I would lead the Hand.”

Izo: “I said a lot of things when I was training you, girl… Said whatever I needed to say.”

Maki: “You’re as bad as them.”

Izo: “No. I didn’t put you in a cage and sell you to the Yakuza.”

Maki: “You still used me.”

Izo: “Yes, I did… but I’m not going to apologize.”

Maki: “Someday I’ll kill you for this. You know that, right?”

[ID: Izo leaps off the roof.]

Izo: “Yeah, well… get in line.”

Daredevil vol. 2 #500 by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Hollingsworth, et al.

Maki masterminds the destruction of Matt’s life that leads him to join the Hand. She is extremely smart (she passes herself off as a lawyer during Brubaker’s run and fools both Matt and Foggy; as far as anyone knows, she might actually have a law degree…?), an excellent fighter (arguably better than Matt, not quite as good as Elektra), an absolute badass, and an all-around great antagonist who deserves her own solo series (hint, hint, Marvel).

Death-Stalker I’m not sure Death-Stalker counts as a major Daredevil villain, but he was used about once a week in late 70s Daredevil so he’s certainly been a recurring presence. I also just find him really cool, conceptually. One of the interesting things about Death-Stalker is that he started his existence as a completely different supervillain: the Exterminator, who is best known for “killing” Mike Murdock! The Exterminator had a weapon that could shift its victims out of sync with the time-stream. When Matt blows it up to fake Mike’s death, the Exterminator is caught in the blast, with shocking consequences:

[ID: Excerpt from McKenzie’s Daredevil run. A series of flashback panels: the Exterminator (a kind of goofy-looking villain with a purple and white costume and blue antennae on the side of his mask) watching Daredevil pull a lever, then the Exterminator getting caught in an explosion and falling into a void.]

Death-Stalker: “How many long and empty years has it been, Murdock? How many… since you so callously destroyed my awesome Time-Displacement Ray… catching me fully in the time-shattering explosion?! How long has it been since I was hurled through the fabric of time? But what you believed to be my death proved instead a macabre rebirth! I found myself in a timeless limbo! Unobserved, I could go anywhere! Do anything!”

Daredevil vol. 1 #158 by Roger McKenzie, Frank Miller, and George Roussos

Thus, the Exterminator returns years later as Death-Stalker– a villain who can move freely through time and space, become intangible at will, and whose mere touch is lethal. This, combined with his new appearance (glowing eyes, bony hands, huge billowy cape…) makes for an excellent creepy character concept, and some of the Death Stalker issues feel more like horror stories than the typical Daredevil comic.

[ID: Excerpt from Gerber’s Daredevil run. A tired Daredevil is making his way through a swamp. Death-Stalker appears behind him out of the fog and puts a skeletal white hand on his shoulder. Daredevil collapses.]

Matt: “H-he’s gone! Nothing but an empty cape! It’s not possible! It– where did he go?!”

Death-Stalker: “Here, Daredevil. I am here. Death is at your back.”

Matt: “Huh? Wha– No!! My… shoulder… your fingers… like ice–!”

Death-Stalker: “Like death, Daredevil. Like the grim, glacial embrace of the North Wind. No use to flee… you can’t outrun the wind.”

Caption: “For Daredevil, for this sightless adventurer, all the world is blackness, all the time. But now, a different kind of darkness envelopes him, a sort of oblivion he has never known before. He hears his heartbeat slow… feels his mind empty of all thought… feel his every nerve tingle, then go numb… and he knows that he is… dying. And that is all he knows when the darkness claims him and the Death-Stalker relaxes his grip.”

Daredevil vol. 1 #114 by Steve Gerber, Bob Brown, and Stan G.

Sadly, though, I don’t feel he was ever used to his full skin-crawling potential, particularly considering how dangerous his power-set was. He was mostly just a nuisance who rarely got the upper hand, and he was killed in Daredevil #158 when he accidentally materialized through a tombstone during a fight with Matt. One of my favorite details about Death-Stalker isn’t Death-Stalker himself– it’s that his mother lived in a booby-trapped mansion and owned an army of exploding robotic children that she sicced on Matt to avenge her son’s death. But that’s a story for another post…

Jester (Jonathan Powers) The Jester gets no respect, and it’s a shame because he’s both genuinely a great villain when he’s used well and highly entertaining when his 1960s goofiness is played up, and he manages to embody both of those characterizations with absolute panache. He has played a role in some fairly major Daredevil stories over the years and I’d consider him a staple DD villain. His origin story is pure Silver Age silliness: he was an actor who received bad reviews for his first major starring role, found his career heading downhill, and so decided to become a supervillain instead. This is pretty typical of motivations for villains of this time period (see the Gladiator’s origin story above, and Stilt-Man below), but even this aspect of his character has been put to good use. Daredevil #218 features a surprisingly touching story of the Jester stealing the chance to reprise that first starring role– and of Matt keeping the cops distracted (by pretending to be the Jester!) so that his enemy can finally live his dream.

[ID: Excerpt from O’Neil’s Daredevil run. The Jester is dressed as Cyrano de Bergerac. He pulls off his false nose and bows dramatically to Daredevil and the cops who have come to take him in.]

Jester: “A moment ago you unmasked. Now I shall perform a similar gesture… I am your humble and obedient servant… the Jester! At your service!”

Matt: “You deserve the bow. You were magnificent.”

Jester: “Indeed! I trust the critics will change their tune.”

Daredevil vol. 1 #218 by Denny O’Neil, Sal Buscema, and Christie Scheele

Throughout the issue, Matt draws comparisons between himself and the Jester: their shared mask-wearing and the experiences of disillusionment that shaped their lives– and while it certainly doesn’t give the Jester the emotional depth of certain other Daredevil villains, it’s a memorable connection.

But where the Jester is at his most dangerous is not as an actor looking for attention– it’s as a creator of chaos. The Jester is a master of illusions and media manipulation. In his introductory arc, he frames Daredevil for his murder and turns Matt into a wanted criminal. Later, he uses a campaign of false news reports and misinformation to sabotage Foggy’s run for District Attorney, turn the superhero community into targets, and throw the whole country into an uproar. Most recently, in Waid’s run, he manipulated TV footage to cause rioting in NYC in the wake of an unpopular and highly publicized court ruling. His plans don’t always succeed, but even then, the scope and effectiveness of the damage he causes makes him a truly formidable villain.

[ID: Excerpt from Waid’s Daredevil run. The Jester is sitting in front of computer monitors in a dark room, yelling into a microphone. In the next panel, we see random civilians in a cafe, watching “Mayor Jameson” (played by the Jester) on TV.]

Jester: “Listen to him. God, he’s so smug. No matter. This is a minor setback. Daredevil’s not the ultimate target, after all. The city’s the target, and it’ll burn. Voice synthesizer on… People of New York… this is Mayor Jameson! Effective immediately, I am rescinding all handgun regulations in Manhattan! Take up arms– for your own protection– and await further instructions!”

Daredevil vol. 3 #32 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, and Javier Rodriguez

The Owl (Leland Owlsley) The Owl has, unfortunately, been overshadowed by the Kingpin for most of his existence, and as such, hasn’t been given anywhere near the same amount of character development or nuance. They were created based on the same character concept: a high-powered mobster with a shadowy network of pawns who controls the city’s criminal underworld.

[ID: A series of panels from Lee’s Daredevil run, showing a man in a long green coat and brimmed hat walking into an office building. His face is not shown; the people he passes looked at him with fear.]

Caption: “This is Wall Street, heart of New York’s Financial District, where fortunes are made and lost by the world’s greatest financial wizards! And, within the canyons of this street, we are about to find one certain man… a merciless man… a man with no friends… no loved ones… nothing to connect him with the human race, save the fact of his birth! Let us follow this man… let us study him as he walks into a towering office building, his heavy footsteps reverberating through the huge marble lobby! For we shall see much of this man on the pages that follow… He walks slowly, but with a sure, steady tread… looking neither to the right nor the left… ignoring those he passes and those who pass him! But he himself cannot readily be ignored by others! His very presence seems so fraught with evil, with menace, that his fellow humans shrink back from the mere sight of him! There are some who recognize him… who speak his name in whispers… for his wealth is said to be legendary, and his power almost beyond measure!”

Daredevil vol. 1 #3 by Stan Lee, Joe Orlando, and Sam Rosen

Unfortunately, the Kingpin just ended up doing it better, and while there are a few Owl story arcs that I really like, I’ve never found him that interesting. However, he is hugely significant because he was the very first Daredevil supervillain, introduced all the way back in Daredevil #3! (In #1 Matt fights the mobsters who killed his father, and in #2 he fights Electro, who is a Spider-Man rogue.) Thus, he has had an impact on Matt’s life simply from having been around for so long. This also means there’s a huge range in his stories, verging from extremely ridiculous (he sometimes eats rats, and used to own an owl-shaped airplane. How cool is that?) to slightly more grounded. There is a great Owl story arc in which his bird-like body modifications start killing him, which gives his law-breaking more nuance, because he is doing it to look for a cure. Matt, upon discovering this, tries to help him.

[ID: Excerpt from Chichester’s Daredevil run. Daredevil and the Owl are on a fire escape together. The Owl has metal cybernetic legs and has collapsed. Daredevil is comforting him.]

Matt: “You’re going to make it, hear me? You’re gonna–”

Owlsley: “You should’ve let me…”

Matt: “Unh-uh. You take my hand– you’re willing to take my hand– I don’t let go. You’ve got some long ways to go, mister… but you can count on me…”

Daredevil vol. 1 #303 by D.G. Chichester, M.C. Wyman, and Christie Scheele

There’s also great point in Bendis’s run when the Owl, in a surprising demonstration of cleverness, hires a lawyer to sue Daredevil for breaking and entering. It doesn’t work, but it throws Matt off and is absolutely priceless.

The Owl has also had several children– two unnamed young kids who were introduced in Alias, and Jubula Pride, who was introduced in Daredevil Volume 4 and worked alongside Matt to rescue her father. Jubula’s brief-but-memorable appearance added a bit more depth to the Owl– allowing us to see him in the role of a parent as well as a villain. But mostly, over the years the Owl has remained one of the more insidious of New York’s mob bosses, always scheming to stay in power and fight his way out of the Kingpin’s shadow. And he’s been doing it for so long that he feels like an integral part of Daredevil comics.

Turk Barrett He’s not a costumed supervillain or even much of a threat, but Turk has become an iconic Daredevil antagonist for both his sheer ineptitude and his plucky ability to stay alive. Of all of the recurring low-level mobster characters, he has the most engaging personality, and his dynamic with Matt is one of long-held friendly animosity. Daredevil isn’t the most dangerous person in Turk’s life, Turk isn’t the most dangerous person in Matt’s life, so they mostly just annoy each other. They’ve even been known to team up, when Turk thinks the odds of survival are in his favor.

[ID: Excerpt from Daredevil: Love and War. Turk Barrett (dressed in a white shirt and blue pants) is mopping the inside of an elevator. The doors open, and Daredevil walks in. They ride the elevator together.]

Matt: “Turk! You got the job!”

Turk: “No, man… this… I mean, I’m working undercover, man… I’m your backup!”

Matt: “I believe you, Turk.”

Turk: “Even know what level the doc’s on, man… So how’d you get in, Devil?”

Matt: “I flew in, Turk.”

Turk: “…Course. I knew that. ‘Spose the window locks weren’t much trouble…”

Matt: “Melted them with my heat vision.”

Daredevil: Love and War by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz

Turk is an underdog. He’s kind of a goof and he’s certainly a criminal, but he’s also a small fish in a big and dangerous pond, working in a career where most people eventually end up at the bottom of the East River in concrete shoes (or a taxi, as the case may be). He’s slippery and resourceful, he stays just harmless enough to keep himself out of danger, and you can’t help but root for him, even when he does dumb things like stealing Stilt-Man’s stilts or trying to kill Daredevil for the hundredth unsuccessful time.

Stilt-Man (Wilbur Day), of course, requires no introduction. He is another personal favorite of mine, and a rare case of a goofy Silver Age villain surviving into the modern era while remaining exactly as goofy as he was when first introduced. The great appeal of Stilt-Man is, in fact, that he’s a bit of a joke, while at the same time being quite dangerous, in a comic book physics-kind of way.

[ID: Excerpt from Lee’s run. Daredevil is battling Stilt-Man on a daytime city street.]

Wilbur: “Hah! You missed!! Have you forgotten so soon how easily I can change my height, thanks to my magnificent hydraulically-operated stilts?!!”

Matt: “Mebbe so! But I haven’t forgotten that I’m the gent who whumped you good last time fought! (Man! It sure is lucky I was here! If Stilt-Man ever managed to get the Leap-Frog safely away, what a team those two would make! But, I hear the boys in blue hauling that human jumping jack right now! Which means Stilty and I can go it alone!) Heads up, dad! It’s time for fun ‘n games again!”

Wilbur: “Hah! Didn’t expect me to seize your cable, did you? I should have warned you, little man– I’ve modified my protective armor in such a way as to double my strength! Which means I’m more than a match for your limited talents!!”

Daredevil vol. 1 #26 by Stan Lee, Gene Colan, and Artie Simek

Part of the charm of this characterization is the fact that he’s a joke in-universe as well; most of his appearances in modern comics consist of Stilt-Man being made fun of and/or of the audience being reminded that he’s actually a threat. This creates a great balance in his depictions; the jokes are fun, the sight of various superheroes being beaten up (at least a little) by Stilt-Man is fun, and he remains an enjoyable, mostly lighthearted presence in a landscape that has become dominated by Dark, Serious, and Disturbing villains.

[ID: Excerpt from Bendis’s Daredevil run. Matt is sitting at his desk in his darkened office, talking to Wilbur Day– a short, bald guy in a black jacket, with his arm in a sling.]

Wilbur: “Wilbur Day– I’m Stilt-Man. We’ve met four hundred times.”

Matt: “Stilt-Man– Huh. Oh, you mean that burglar guy Stilt-Man? Who wears the stilts and robs things?”

Wilbur: “Can we please just–”

Matt: “We’ve met when?”

Wilbur: “I–”

Matt: “Are you in some kind of legal trouble? Is that why you’re here?”

Wilbur: “Okay, fine.”

Daredevil vol. 2 #41 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, and Matt Hollingsworth

Stilt-Man is just a short guy in a ridiculous outfit who wants to commit some crimes and get a little respect– and really, who can’t relate to that?

Ikari (???) I’m mentioning Ikari not because he’s a long-established Daredevil villain– he’s not– but because I am fascinated by his potential. He’s a favorite of mine as much for what we don’t know as for what we do. In his introductory arc, we learn this: He was engineered/commissioned by Bullseye to kill Matt, his fighting abilities equal Matt’s, he has hypersenses, and (as a horrified Matt discovers later) he can also see.

Ikari: “Someone has, in fact, managed to re-create the toxic chemicals that blinded you, gave you enhanced senses. Someone whose hate for you keeps him alive. But he didn’t waste the process on weak, malnourished vagrants. He used it to baptize a warrior. A fighter trained to be every bit your equal in skill– and now, in power.”

Daredevil vol. 3 #25 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, and Javier Rodriguez

And that’s it. We don’t know who he is or where he came from, or what the consequences are of having that degree of sensory perception (presumably his vision is heightened too?). We don’t know what his personal goals or motivations are, since we’ve only ever seen him as a pawn– first of Bullseye and then, later, of the Kingpin. But the concept of his character as someone who shares Matt’s powers plus some– who is essentially, skills-wise, a criminal version of Matt– and all the mystery that surrounds him, is hugely compelling to me.

[ID: Excerpt from Waid’s Daredevil run. Both Ikari and Daredevil are out on the street, being shot at by cops. As Daredevil hides behind a parked car, Ikari attacks the cops and cuts their guns in half with his blades.]

Matt: “The cops are hunting me under an open-fire command. Presuming they’ve been advised of Ikari’s prison break, I’m sure the same order applies to him. I wish it scared him. I wish anything did.”

Daredevil vol. 4 #17 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, and Matt Wilson

In his last appearance he was killed by the Shroud, but his body was stolen, leaving the door open for him to maybe return sometime in the future and receive more development. I hope he does.

#soulfireinc #Gladiator #Typhoid Mary #The Hand #Lady Bullseye #Death Stalker #Jester #Owl #Turk Barrett #Stilt Man #Ikari #Asks #Adventures in Continuity

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