#Thor sets a great example

[artbyblastweave]

The Maker I think is an example of comic books generating a character who's incredibly good, but also incredibly dependent on the gnarled sprawling context and editorial meta-context in order to understand why he's good. He's born out of the core tension of the Ultimate Universe- the tension between retelling familiar stories in a way that's accessible to modern readers, and actually doing genuinely new and unexpected things with the characters in a continuity where you had the leeway to do so without having to enact an editorial snapback- and it's not a coincidence that he's one of only two characters who differentiated themselves enough from the 616 status quo to escape the sinking ship that the original Ultimate Marvel eventually became. He's probably not a character that would exist in the way that he does if The Ultimates and then Ultimatum hadn't sent the entire tonal trajectory of the setting into a tailspin, he's the end result of that tension embodied, a character whose backstory you can't even describe without talking about two separate Universes.

Then, of course, you get into the fact that "what if Reed Richards snapped and turned evil" is a character concept that's only legible because of the existing referent of 616 Marvel, where people have been going, "Man, Reed Richards has a lot of character traits that would make him terrifying as a supervillain" for decades. And once you notice that, you get into the issue that in fact, quite a bit of ultimate Marvel was dependent on some recognition of the old thing to recognize why the New Thing is clever. For example, is the ambiguity surrounding whether Thor is actually a Norse God or just a crazy super soldier interesting, without the context of 616-thor for comparison? Is Gah Lak Tus an interesting spin on the world-eater if you don't know about the giant asshole in purple tights? All these characters where the new take is dependent on some knowledge of the original to land effectively (or, in many cases, to understand why the new take is dogwater.)

And then, of course, you get to the Maker's big Plan for the 2023 Ultimate Universe- to pare down and reconstruct a version of continuity that's simpler, more manageable, less chaotic- a metatextual reference to the project that originally created him, and like that project it almost immediately flies off the rails because for good or ill you can't keep an entire setting's worth of plates spinning without some of the participants getting their own ideas and breaking from the script. And what you're left with is a character with an arc about how we're never getting out of here- about how you're never, ever going to be able to escape the weight of continuity, you're never going to be able to reboot your way out from under what came before, and moreover it's not completely clear why you'd even want to- look at all this great stuff we've accumulated! Look at all the thematic parallels we can draw if we bother to remember what we've done! If you're not gonna pull all these ancient threads together why are you even bothering with 60 year old characters instead of just writing something new?

[jackfrombaskinrobbins]

being tony stark's daughter would include... (headcanons)

type of writing: headcanons / scenario

word count: 778

request: yes / no

original request: can you do one where the reader is tony’s daughter and loves to wear fancy stuff like cher from clueless 😭. and instead of being that stereotypical “mean spoiled rich girl”, the reader is actually super sweet and people sometimes take that for granted and use her for her stuff and money?

dynamic: tony stark x stark daughter!reader

characters: reader, tony stark, happy hogan, mention of steve rogers, natasha romanoff, bruce banner, peter parker, harley keener, and miles morales

a/n: ty for the request!! also requests are still open hehe :)

coming soon: clint barton younger sibling headcanons, overprotective avengers when reader has a boyfriend headcanons, hanging at the sanctum sanctorum over break headcanons

taglist: @nutellani

(message me or send an ask if you'd like to be included in the taglist!)

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tony stark is an awesome dad. 

like he just goes above and beyond to make you smile.

it’s well-known that he spoils everyone at the compound, but since you’re his daughter, he spoils you A LOT.

you’ll come home from school often to find a little box on your bed, and it’s always something you either had mentioned in passing, or something that you didn’t even know you needed. 

like you got into crocheting for a little bit. you now have buckets full of multicolored yarns in every texture and color one could ever need!!

also i feel like when you told him your favorite ice cream was the same flavor as his favorite, he literally almost burst with excitement.

and now you ALWAYS have that ice cream.

he even built a little gadget that only lets you and him eat out of it.

the only exception to the rule is happy, as thor painfully found out one day.

he went to have some and it shocked him, but happy just reached in and got it anyway.

also if you’re tony stark’s daughter, i just have to say what an iconic trio you, your dad, and happy are.

like y’all always look so badass with matching shades or whatever.

you got matching shirts for you three for christmas and they both reluctantly wore it.

natasha took like fifteen pictures and steve was literally on the floor dying because he thought it was so funny.

anyways one of the coolest things about being tony stark’s daughter are the gadgets.

for example, you have a lot of clothes. but guess what? you don’t ever have to do laundry.

all of your clothes are put in this special hamper. it washes, dries, and folds/hangs the clothes up for you, then puts them away in a neat fashion. 

you have a high tech mirror (ala cher from clueless!!!!) where you can “try on” outfits before you actually retrieve them to wear.

it’s kind of awesome? 

jk it IS awesome.

anyways you’re also super smart.

science and math just come easily.

it must be…. in your blood or something.

bruce made that joke once and tony locked him out of the lab. then peter tried to make it too and tony made him go “test” a robot that blocks people out of a room HAHA

that being said, your dad actually lets you in the lab.

ikr? kind of crazy.

you have your own little corner to work on stuff.

also you and bruce are so iconic. i think you would have tea parties every sunday. 

tony says it’s “childish” but you can tell he’s jealous

once you caught happy setting up high tea for him and tony but then he told you that you didn’t actually see anything

now, it’s usually a great thing to be tony stark’s daughter

but finding real friends is tough.

there are people who are awesome, like peter parker, harley keener, and miles morales. 

but there’s a lot of people who’ll use you to get to your dad or your money.

and yes that sounds stereotypical, but it’s really tough.

there was a group of kids who seemed really excited to go out with you, but then you realized it was all for social media clout and that they expected gifts and stuff.

so you ended up exploding on them, and it gave your dad some bad press.

you were so embarrassed that you locked yourself in your room, refusing to come out.

happy left some tea outside but you didn’t want it.

so then finally tony came in.

guys he’s iron man he can get through a locked door 

and you didn’t really want to talk.

so instead he just put on some music.

some really loud guitar music.

and then, with the door still open, tony stark began playing air guitar.

now you knew he would do this sometimes, but not with the door open.

and then he started to SING.

that man cannot sing guys.

needless to say, it gave you a laugh.

he grabbed your hands, pulled you up, and the two of you started dancing around the room, laughing harder than ever before.

when the song ended, he told you he wasn’t mad.

and that people can be losers sometimes

but that you certainly weren’t.

then he said one day he would come up with a loser detector so that you wouldn't have to go through something like that again.

and he was only half joking, so you just laughed.

but deep down, you were happy to have someone who cared for you as much as your dad, tony stark, did.

-----------------------✰----------------------

[stalkedbytrains]

“Cheryl? Where is the file for the next appointment? I can’t find it anywhere.”

“It’s the folder with the green tab,” Cheryl called from her desk at the front of the tiny office.

There was the sound of many papers shuffling around and finally an “aha!”

“The Rainbow Snake?” Came the voice from the office. Cheryl’s boss often read out loud when they were studying a client. Just a weird quirk of theirs. “Australian Aboriginal Deity. Oh I do remember them. We were at a party together… 2,000 years ago give or take. I don’t think they’ll remember me, ah well thems the breaks. Let’s see… hmm… I can see that this is going to be a problem Cheryl. Damn colonialists. I wish we could make the British gods fade away. Fucking King Arthur deserves to be relegated to the dust bin. I can tell that we’re going to need some deep cuts on this one. Start making a list of Australians we can contact, I have a feeling.”

Cheryl did as she was told. Her boss was almost always right about these things. She knew what the gods wanted before they even got here.

Several minutes later there was a knock at the office door. Cheryl got up to open it and invited in the dark skinned person and the beautiful snake they wore like jewelry but that might have only been because the snake itself was a living work of art. Like living breathing stained glass.

As Cheryl escorted the Rainbow Snake in, her boss came out and bowed deeply to their guest.

The chipper woman had tied back her full brown hair and smiled widely at the Snake and their human escort.

“A pleasure to meet you again,” the boss said, “it’s been many centuries but I am glad to see you once more. Please come in to my office. Would you care for any refreshments?”

After settling and getting water for the Rainbow Snake, Cheryl sat back down outside the office and listened to the pitch. She never got tired of listening to it.

“How can I help you?” Her boss asked.

“We heard that you can help us gods. Stop us from fading. We need faith. We need followers. The people are dying, the language is dying,” said a dual voice. The voice from the snake, and the voice from the human.

“We can do that. Sort of. I am sorry to say that it’s not a direct thing. I don’t just snap my fingers and make you some new believers. Human beings a wonderful little creatures. They crave us. They need us even if they don’t believe in us anymore. They want our stories and our myths. And that is what I provide. Stories.”

“How does that help us?”

“Do you know how down bad the Norse were? The Christian’s basically destroyed their religion, all we know of it is this bastard version of what was left after the Jesus freaks invaded. But then the comics happened. The Mighty Thor! And don’t get me started on Neil Gaiman and his Sandman and American Gods stories. I send that man a fruit basket every year. I love him. Have you seen how well the Norse pantheon is doing? Loki has seventeen penthouses, and more belief than he knows what to do with.”

“Bah. Western religion. White religion.”

“You are right. I am sorry that was a poor example. Perhaps I should have started with Māui and how well he’s doing with that Disney film Moana. I set that up.”

“You did all of that?”

“Well. Not directly. You know how us gods work. I gave some inspiration here and there. Got a writer to have an idea. Got a director and a bunch of executives to see the bigger picture and how it could be a hit. They did the rest themselves. Like I said, whether or not they know it, humans want us.”

“You can make me a hit movie?”

“Or a TV show or a video game. Those are hard though. Movies are kind of easy now a days, TV is having a resurgence now but you run the risk of cancelation and things like that, video games can be hit or miss honestly. Only the Greeks and Norse really pulled that one off and hoo let me tell you they paid for that one. Great games but still. I don’t want to look at those God of War games ever again. Books are easy. Worked really well for the Greeks and some of the Egyptians. Rick Riordan does great stuff. It all depends on what you want.”

“I can have anything?”

“Sure. Internet stories are easy. Quick and cheap but you are really gambling with the payoff. Could be either a total wash or go viral. Not something I can really recommend but if you need something now it can be done. Movies or tv can be great but there are also risks. It might be two or three years before you see anything.”

“Do I get to choose who does the work?”

“A little. I can influence certain people but sometimes the best person for the job is some down on his luck writer in a hovel in LA. Sometimes it’s Neil. But Neil is expensive.”

“I want a movie, I want it to be written by one of my people.”

“I can do that. But the problem is that reach might be very tiny. There are plenty of Aboriginal writers, I’m sure some can even be extremely talented, but something big and grand and bringing in all the faith and worship and stories you may way may be limited. If you want the Disney treatment you have to give up a whole lot of control.”

“No. I want it to be of the people.”

“Very well. Now, I can influence and give inspiration all over. I can even get this in the right people’s hands. But it is always a crap shoot. All I need to do is channel some of your power into the right person when I find it. Then creativity takes over, they do their work, I nudge some agents and companies their way and if we’re lucky you see some return on investment in a couple of years.”

“What do you get out of this process?”

“My dear, I’m the Muse. I feed off the creativity. These artists come to me most of the time. I just set them up with gods who need a little faith. And six points on the back end. I have a lot of alimony to pay.”

[eggroll-sama]

Record of Ragnarok: Ideal s/o Headcanons

Female!reader

Warning: suggestive, mention of sex

Poseidon

Poseidon will want someone that will aesthetically compliment his looks and reputation. In other words, he’d like someone that is beautiful, but not as beautiful as him. Specifically, he doesn’t really have a preference. You just need to have nice teeth, kept hair, glowing and unblemished skin, a symmetrical face, and on and on and on. Just don’t be more beautiful than him, thank you.

Personality wise, he’d like someone that is feminine, intelligent and regal.

You can be dominant and arrogant with others, just don’t be when you’re with him. It’ll tarnish his reputation as a strong and fearsome god. Also if you are a virgin he would like that. It would boost his ego to know he has the privilege to be the only one to be with you.

He wants you to be intelligent and to be well versed in history, mathematics, language, and the sciences. He’s more traditional and emphasizes more importance on book smarts than street smarts. Also, if you’re really good at debating and holding your own in an argument, he’d find it very attractive. For example, if during a godly meeting you were to stand your own on a stance against another god, he’d be so smug and in love with you. He wouldn’t show it on his face, but once you get back to the castle he would pin you against the wall and make out with you, growling under his breathe about how it was your fault for making him this way.

Not Ideal: dumb, domineering, scheming :)

More characters under the cut!

Thor

Loki sometimes badgers him about his ideal s/o. He wouldn’t answer him -much to his cousin's chagrin- but in his mind his love would have long dark hair and a nice smile.

Personality wise, he’d like someone that is strong. In any type of sense. He would prefer a more physically strong lover, but it is not a requirement. He emphasizes the most on a strong mentality. He believes no matter how muscular or large you are, without a strong soul you are weak. He understands the hardships of being the lover of a god; they’d have to have the mental strength to overcome difficulties of being in that position.

Also, he’d prefer if you are extroverted. He struggles with talking or giving an opinion, so someone that can enhance communication will be great. Of course he’s a really observant god, but observing can take him only so far; a person that is willing to talk to him about everyday things or their problems will make him happy (though he doesn’t show it).

Not Ideal: secretive, complainer, weak-minded

Loki

I know he’s literally a shapeshifting god and he transformed into some pretty ugly things in the past, but he still has preferences in terms of looks. If you like piercings and tattoos he’d be very interested in you since he has several of his own. He also finds the grunge/goth look attractive. He loves beauty marks on his partner. But he’d hide that and tease you about them like a jerk. Also, the guy is a sucker for chubby cheeks. He’d be touching them every chance he gets. You feel like a stress ball sometimes.

He wants a partner in crime to pull pranks with and on. Someone that is creative, funny, and a tease. His family is literally full of straight faces; he wants someone that will laugh with him and talk with him about nonsensical ideas. A naturally curious person that will indulge in various ideas and hypotheticals will be perfect for him.

There needs to be something about you that is interesting. It could be intelligence, physical/mental strength, your way of thinking, how you dress, etc. Something that sets you apart from other people. If you are just a normal, everyday individual, he probably won’t give you a second glance. And no, being like the “quirky” girls on TikTok does not count.

Not Ideal: too quiet, serious, bland

Lu Bu

He’s drinking with his soldiers and they ask him in a drunk haze what his “ideal lover” would be. Lu Bu is honest and tells them he’s not interested in commiting to a relationship. He’s not going to date someone when he has the goal of being the strongest. He has one night stands to vent his frustrations and quench his boredom, but that’s the limit. He also deems it very unlikely for him to find love in this time period. Not that he really cares about those sort of things. Doesn’t really believe in true love either.

But low and behold, Lu Bu’s trustworthy strategist, Chen Gong, has spent many a night thinking about this very same topic. He’s deduced from observing his general’s personality and every day interactions that Lu Bu would be best compatible with a strong-minded, caring woman. He needs someone that can rile him up in all sorts of ways. Somehow, a woman that can make a smart remark every once in a while would be a nice change. Someone that has the courage to talk to him. His general hasn’t met a woman who sticks around after seeing his ferocity on the battlefield.

Chen Gong believes they have to be caring. Lu Bu is surrounded by bloodshed and war everyday. He feels that what his general needs the most in a partner is someone that is supportive and will let Lu Bu be vulnerable. Someone that will let Lu Bu relax after a long fought battle. Someone that will treat him like a human than worship or envy his strength.

(Chen Gong doesn’t know this, but Lu Bu finds it attractive when women eat a lot)

Not ideal (according to Chen Gong): cowardly, weak-minded, apathetic

Adam

He doesn’t care about looks. He’s the father of humanity, he loves every single type of person: tall or short, hairy or thin hair, big boobs no boobs, etc.

Ideally, Adam wants someone who has a motherly aura and has a kind and selfless heart. Someone who’s gentle and has a nurturing heart. Someone who shows gratitude and appreciation for what they are given.

Although he’s strong, he wants to be with a person that he can trust and rely on. Someone he can be vulnerable with. It will take time for him to warm up to you. He’d have to be sure that you are a good person and will confess to you once he’s gotten to know you for a long time.

Adam also likes to tease and play around sometimes behind closed doors, so he’d like it if you aren’t the most easily-offended person. He’d feel awful if he’s just lightly teasing you and you make a big deal out of it and ignore him.

Not ideal: self-centered, overreactor, untrustworthy

Sasaki

Like Lubu he strives for strength, but is more open to the idea of a relationship. When he was still alive, he’d daydream about having a lover beside him. They’d have the prettiest smile, and skin as smooth as the softened glass shards by the ocean shores. Somebody who’d accompany him on his journey, perhaps. Someone who possessed a voice of wisdom because he knows he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

Although he’d occasionally feel lonely camping alone in the forest, it really wasn’t on his to-do list to find a lover. He felt that the perfect person is the one who will see him for who he is and love him for it no matter what.

They need to be independent. Somebody that wouldn’t mind a long distance relationship. His travels might take 1-2 months, or maybe 6 months. He would occasionally show up at your house unannounced with a gift from his travels. If you try convince him to stay, he’d feel really guilty and might break up with you because you deserve somebody that doesn’t stress you out. But if you’re up for it, he wouldn’t mind taking you with him!

Not ideal: dependent, stability > taking risks

[abby118]

Why do you like Loki so much? Whats make him so special to ya?

Hey there, nonnie, what a good question you've got there. There is a lot to be said here, but I will try to keep it brief so as not to bore you. (This goes without saying, but I am obviously talking about 2011–2013.)

There is certainly more than one reason why he's so special to me, but I think the most obvious answer would be that he's a complex character with great depth, which is something I find exceptionally interesting. I love delving deeper into his psychology and analysing the different aspects of his story. He's not the antagonist, but he's certainly not without flaws, and I find that very compelling, comforting even. Also, he's got such an intriguing set of traits to his personality. He's intelligent and cares deeply about his people, whilst also being cunning and a skilled strategist, just to name a few. To paraphrase one of Tom's interviews for a bit here, Loki is the student, an artist, someone who was more sensitive and more delicate. Particularly in contrast to Thor, the archetypal warrior who was embraced by his family and the Asgardian society.

Of course, another contributing factor is that I got to see the first Thor movie when it came out, meaning I was very young and his character resonated with me like no other, so I fixated on him. As I got older, I found myself relating more and more, which further solidified my perception of him.

I think it's safe to say that the people who like him to this extent are not exactly the prime example of mental health (exceptions exist, of course), and that's understandable. There is something reassuring about loving and defending somebody you see yourself in, especially when you are unable to show said kindness and compassion to yourself. From my experience, many of his fans have been wronged and marginalised by the people around them and only realised this after understanding him.

[godsofhumanity]

You should make some general Thor headcanons since Marvel helped him become a popular god

okie i have some ideas.

i'll be real. marvel is what got me into norse mythology, and i find it super difficult to separate chris hemsworth's Thor from mythology Thor. so my hc's are pretty similar to that portrayal.

personality wise, i think Thor is generally a friendly guy. i mean, i dont think he makes friends as quickly as say, Freyr and Bragi, but deep down, he has a heart of gold and anyone who knows him, knows that this is true.

Thor doesn't really have any filter. he says exactly what he is thinking. he's call things as they are.

i think this makes his relationship with Loki very interesting. marvel has Loki and Thor as brothers, but in myth, that dynamic works better between Loki and Odin instead. so, my hc is that after Odin, i think Thor might interact with Loki the most largely because Loki is a *bit* scared of Thor.

Thor is superrrr strong. maybe the strongest in Asgard after Odin. his lightning is feared by everyone, as it should be. AND he has a temper to match.

with Thor, it's a short temper, but quicker placation. you can easily defuse his anger by apologising, or telling a joke, or acknowledging the situation. i don't think he holds on to troubles. so that's why with Loki, who perpetually sets everyone off, Thor tolerates Loki a lot because he just doesn't get angry for a long time. and once Loki has served his punishment for the crime of the day, Thor is satisfied... UNTIL of course Baldr's death which is simply too tragic to deserve any redemption.

now. as it has been said before, Thor isn't that smart. i think he's a bit all brawn and no brains. and that's ok. Asgard wouldn't want it any other way.

Sif is the love of Thor's life. i think he's always showering her with compliments and gifts.

i find it SUPER interesting that Sif has a son (Ullr) who is not fathered by Thor, while Thor has children Magni and Modi who are not mothered by Sif.

in all likelihood, Magni and Modi are products of extramarital affairs but i'm sick of having to write about gods and goddesses who cheat, so i hc that Magni and Modi, like Ullr, are products of previous marriages.

being warriors, and gods who are susceptible to death, it's completely possible that Thor and Sif's previous spouses/partners fell in battle... or perhaps even simply that they amicably left those partners because the relationship didn't work. idk,, i haven't thought about those details too hard just yet.

Sif has a GREAT relationship with her stepsons, and Thor has a GREAT relationship with his stepson.

i like the idea of Ullr being the eldest son. and i think he has gotten along with Thor from the start. Thor seems like a guy who wants a huge family, so having four kids i think is pretty good and natural for him.

Thor is a dad-joke kinda guy. and he also laughs at absolutely anything.

as i have mentioned before in my hc's with Frigg,, i believe Thor gets along with his stepmum very well. i think he has a lot of respect for hierarchy and power, and being a stepdad himself, i cannot imagine that he has a bone to pick with Frigg. it helps that Thor's own mother Jörð is treated well by Frigg and looked after by Odin too.

with Odin, i don't think Thor is that close. i hc Odin to spend a bit more time with the children of his who will take up important roles in his kingdom; for example, Baldr who is his heir, or Tyr and Freyja who would take charge of defense and war strategies, etc.

because Thor isn't all that bright, i don't think he that much responsibility in terms of organisation or management... he is simply a powerhouse who lends his aid when it's requested.

that's not to say that Thor and Odin don't like each other. they just have a different relationship. they are similar in terms of their personality, and i think Odin definitely would have given Thor instruction in the art of war, etc.

anyhow. amongst the rest of the gods, Thor gets along very well with Bragi. Thor loves music a lot, even if he sings offkey when drunk (which is most of the time).

he also enjoys spending time with Heimdallr. i think Heimdallr would tell Thor stories when he was a child that Thor later still recalls to tell his own children (Heimdallr is the eldest child).

strangely enough, i think Thor is one of the few gods who manages to break the ice (haha) with Skadi when she first comes to Asgard. because she's a hothead and Thor's a hothead and they're both super strong, i think they can go toe-to-toe with each other.

so yeah. there u go :)

[quidfree]

just finished rereading witvok... (and screaming very loudly especially at the tournament scenes) i remember you writing somewhere that essence is a more toned down version of quirks but i was wondering if you'd be willing to go into more detail re the difference in scale btwn quirks and essence. i'd interested ofc mostly in shouto and katsuki but izuku as well like was his essence also... a strand of hair he had to eat? and the other characters as well if you're willing!

<3 great question actually! (and thanks for the rereads, next chapter is nearing completion and is very very long lol)

the pragmatic line of thinking i had going in was that i couldn't have the characters maintain quirks with the scale of power they have in canon, because it just took them too far out of the genre setting. i wanted it to remain fantasy, so they kept some of their powers, but essences are toned down to like maybe 1/3 of canon scale, and need a channel to work with the kind of precision they would be used with in bnha proper.

to give examples with the girlies, shouto wouldn't be able to do a sports fest style ice wall in this, despite this being something that comes fairly effortlessly to shouto in canon. smaller scale. everyone's essence is a lot more attuned to their physical body and space. she also wouldn't be able to do like a hell spider because that's too fine-tuned. hence supplementing attacks with a bow and arrow (very shouto, i feel). but in any event this shouto still refuses to use fire, which will be plot relevant very soon. same sort of thing is true with katsuki, who wouldn't be able to pull off a howitzer impact but can easily do ap-shot equivalents.

izuku's backstory in witvok is very arthurian. inko was a chambermaid for the bakugou nobles, so izuku grew up around katsuki before eventually becoming her servant / page and therefore kind of stumbling into combat training, and then in parallel to canon during the first major battle they found themselves in he ended up having a sword-in-the-stone moment with the sword that in this 'verse represents OFA and which all might had (unbeknownst to the GP) increasingly lost the ability to use and so discarded during the battle. so izuku is strictly speaking still without any essence of its own, he's just the only person except all might who can wield the sword (very thor's hammer vibes). and the sword has similar power to classic OFA, so like immense physical strength, green lighting, etc. as in canon it took him a lot of work to adjust to actually wielding it as he does, and his gauntlets (a nod to his red gloves) ease a lot of the physical brunt of it.

[athingofvikings]

A Thing Of Vikings Chapter 109: Shift Happens

Chapter 109: Shift Happens

Prior to the Norse Reformation, the ethno-religion of the Norse people was technically a folk religion with mixed shamanistic practices and no centralized doctrines.  Lacking a canonical unifying text and relying primarily on oral transmission, the particulars of practice and belief differed from region to region, with some particular beliefs and practices being idiosyncratic in comparison to the whole of the religion—which was itself an offshoot of the archaic Germanic religion that had existed in central and western Europa during the prior eras.  While pre-Reformation texts which are not from Berk and related tribes are comparatively rare, idiosyncratic differences can still be seen between what examples we do have.  It was only later, with Berk's doctrinal canonization which overwrote a great deal of the variation in regional belief, that the Norse religion adopted a set of canonical texts.

One such example of a divergence in belief is that of Sif, Thor's wife.  In eastern Norse beliefs, she was primarily an Earth fertility and farming goddess, with her golden hair being an allusion to fields of grain and her marriage to Thor being a symbolic bond between the earth and sky—especially that of life-giving rain on farmers' fields.  

In contrast, Sif's depictions are expanded in the beliefs of the Eirish Sea Norse which were eventually canonized by the Norse Reformation.  Textual analysis and primary sources show the primary movers of the divergence being the Bog Burglar tribe, which began as a breakaway Sif and Freyja cult sometime in the 800s AD.  Here, Sif is still a goddess of the fertility of the earth—a fertility which is enhanced by the blood spilled on the ground by killing attackers attempting to destroy her home, hearth and family.  In these depictions, Sif's role is expanded to be similar to that of Freyja, as a deadly warrior woman.  However, in contrast to Freyja's focus on the offensive aspects of warfare, Sif's focus is decidedly defensive, that of a mother protecting her children and standing her ground with a refusal to retreat, and a fertility goddess who is completely willing to use the blood and bones of the fallen to enrich her fields.  

—The Second Flowering Of Yggdrasil: An Analysis Of The Norse Resurgence, 1710

AO3 Chapter Link

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[anonymousewrites]

Portal to My Heart (Book 1.5) Chapter Seven

Loki x Reader

Chapter Seven: Within a Ruse

Summary: (Y/N) figures out a trick and knows Loki far better than he could ever realize.

            (Y/N) and Thor landed on Asgard. Heimdall stood at his post. He seemed fairly alright, but after committing treason, there was no telling what would happen. However, Heimdall didn’t seem upset. He nodded to Thor and (Y/N).

            “You handled yourselves well,” said Heimdall. “I am glad.”

            “Thank you for your help and sacrifice, Heimdall,” said Thor.

            “Thanks,” said (Y/N). They walked out onto the Bifrost. “Let me guess, Odin is gonna give us a punishment first to set an example and then handle Heimdall.”

            “Most likely,” said Thor.

            “Great,” she said sarcastically.

l

            (Y/N) felt the exact same amount of nervousness when she walked into the rebuilt throne room as she had the first time she arrived on Asgard. And, of course, once again she was wearing Midgardian clothes and was covered in dirt from the battle against Malekith.

            At least jeans are a step up from sweatpants, she thought, not really encouraging herself.

            Thor and (Y/N) stopped before the throne. Odin looked down at them from the rebuilt golden seat. He stood, staff in hand.

            “My son. Lady (Y/N),” he said. “You return.”

            Thor took a knee, and (Y/N) briefly considered doing the same but decided that she wasn’t going to bow just to be punished. Not her style.

            “Yes,” said Thor.

            “You are victorious against Malekith and the Dark Elves,” said Odin.

            “Yes. Mother and Loki are avenged. The Nine Realms are protected,” said Thor.

            Odin regarded (Y/N) and Thor. “You once said there would never be a wiser king than me.”

      ��     This is an odd way to start giving out punishments for High Treason.

            “You were wrong,” said Odin. “The Alignment has brought all the Realms together. Each one of them saw you, my son, and you, Lady (Y/N), offer your life to save them. They all offer their thanks to you both. As do I.”

            (Y/N) blinked. Okay, so this is going in a strange direction. Didn’t expect that.

            “What can Asgard offer to you, Lady (Y/N)?” said Odin.

            “…What?” (Y/N) stared at him, and Thor winced at the response.

            “What can Asgard and the Nine Realms offer you in thanks, Lady (Y/N)?” Odin gazed at (Y/N) steadily. “You fought with emotion and resilience for Asgard. They are in your debt.”

            “I’d like to be allowed to stay in Asgard,” said (Y/N). She glanced down. “And I’d like for it to be acknowledged that Loki died saving Asgard, too.”

            Odin raised an eyebrow before nodding. “Yes. He had hope.”

            (Y/N) froze as Odin turned to Thor. “I have hope?” Her eyes widened. Loki had said that when they had spoken. She had told him there was some hope for him, that he wasn’t terrible. And now Odin was repeating it. (Y/N) watched Odin stand before her. Yes, the phrase was innocent enough. But there was something in his gaze that felt incredibly familiar. (Y/N) felt her heart pound a little faster. No way…

            “Thor Odinson. What can Asgard and the Nine Realms offer its new king?” said “Odin,” gazing at Thor.

            “My life.” Thor didn’t hesitate, and he stood. “Father, I cannot be king of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot sit in that chair. Loki, for all his grave imbalance, understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice…It changes you. I’d rather be a good man than a great king.”

            “Odin” paused. “Is this my son I hear, or the woman he loves?”

            “When you speak, do I never hear Mother’s voice?” said Thor. “This is not for Jane, Father. She does not know what I came here to say.”

            “Odin” sat as Thor continued. He leaned back slightly, and (Y/N)’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t recall him “lounging” in his throne.

            “Now, forbid me to see her or say she can rule at my side. It changes nothing,” said Thor.

            “One son who wanted the throne too much, another who will not take it,” said “Odin.” “Is this my legacy?”

            “Loki died with honor. I shall try to live the same,” said Thor. “Is that not legacy enough?” He held out Mjolnir, ready for his father to strip him of his power and title.

            “It belongs to you,” said “Odin.” “If you are worthy of it.”

            “I shall try to be,” said Thor.

            “I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you good fortune,” said “Odin.”

            “I know,” said Thor. He turned away.

            “If I were proud of the man my son had become, even that, I could not say,” said “Odin.” “It would speak only from my heart. Go, my son.”

            “Thank you, Father,” said Thor.

            “I’ll walk you out,” said (Y/N). They turned and left the throne room, with (Y/N) glancing back uncertainly.

            “You’ll be taken care of here. And this time, we won’t have further problems,” said Thor.

            “Don’t jinx us,” said (Y/N). She smiled. “But good luck out there.”

            Thor smiled back. “Thank you for your support, and…thank you for your sentiment for Loki.”

            (Y/N) nodded. “Loki fought for us. I was just being honest.”

            Thor nodded in agreement and put out a hand. (Y/N) took it, and they shook. “Farewell, Lady (Y/N). Until we meet again.”

            “Bye, Thor,” said (Y/N).

            Thor flipped Mjolnir around and jumped into the air. He was gone.

            (Y/N) cracked her neck. Alright. Time to handle my suspicions. She paused as she turned to head back into the palace. I am so screwed if I’m wrong. She walked into the throne room with her head held high anyways. If she got killed for this, she would go out confidently.

            “Ah, Lady (Y/N). Has Thor departed,” said “Odin.”

            (Y/N) crossed her arms. “Cut the crap. There’s no one here.” She was starting out strong.

            “Are you certain you should speak to the King of Asgard this way?”

            (Y/N) rolled her eyes. “You know me enough to say that I would speak however I wanted to anyone, no matter their rank. But you aren’t Odin, so I can care even less than usual.” Get right to the point and either get killed for it or be right.

            “You must be very sure of yourself.” “Odin” raised his chin regally.

            “I am. I know you enough to see through this disguise,” said (Y/N).

            Green light shimmered around Odin and revealed Loki. “I marvel at how you see through my ploys before Thor. When did you figure it out?”

            (Y/N) shrugged. “Just a hunch and a hope.” She ignored her heart beating quicker as she saw him, glad to see him alive.

            Loki smirked. “You hoped I would be alive?” He hid the genuine smile at the knowledge.

            “As I’ve said, when you’re not trying to take over the Earth, you’re not that bad,” said (Y/N). She smiled and playfully sighed. “I guess I’ve gotten fond of your banter.” She truly had mourned him. After all, her rage had been apparent as it empowered her abilities.

            Loki approached her. “And what will you do with the knowledge of my ruse?”

            “Well, that’s up to you,” said (Y/N), smirking and taking a step towards him.

            Loki quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

            “What type of ruler are you going to be?” said (Y/N).

            “A fair one. Juster than Odin,” said Loki.

            “You’re also one who tricked his way to the throne and faked his own death,” said (Y/N).

            “True,” said Loki, smirking.

            “So I don’t trust you to act without supervision,” said (Y/N).

            “Then what do you propose?” said Loki.

            “Let me be an…advisor,” said (Y/N). “That way I can make sure you don’t take things to shit.”

            “You mean you’re not interested in returning Odin to the throne?” said Loki in interest.

            “…I don’t have any stake in this, not really,” said (Y/N), shrugging. “I just want to keep you from going to crazy and getting anyone hurt.”

            Loki smirked in amusement. “Very well. I accept your proposal.”

            “Really?” (Y/N) was surprised he’d taken to the idea so quickly.

            “Yes,” said Loki.

            “Okay, so where do we begin?” said (Y/N).

            “I have to send Heimdall away. He might be able to tell I am not Odin,” said Loki. He grinned. “Fortunately, Heimdall’s ‘treason’ gives me apt reason.”

            “Are you sure it’s a good idea to send Heimdall away? He’s super skilled and important,” said (Y/N).

            “Yes, but I can’t risk getting caught,” said Loki.

            “Fine,” said (Y/N). She knew he was right. He had to keep up appearances. “But at least don’t put a complete idiot on Bifrost duty.”

            “Very well, dear ‘advisor,’ ” said Loki.

            (Y/N) rolled her eyes at the teasing tone at the name. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going to go get changed. Go back to being Odin.”

            “You should consider wearing green. I’m planning a proper funeral for myself,” said Loki.

            “You wish you could see me in your colors,” said (Y/N). She paused before she left and glanced back at him. “But Loki.”

            “Hm?” Loki looked at her.

            “I am glad you’re alive,” said (Y/N). And then she walked off.

            Loki watched her go and felt something clench in his chest. He had seen her rage after his death, witnessed her destroy the Minotaur man and watched her destroy Malekith. It had been for him. Loki was flattered.

            And now she was with him in his ruse. True, it could be just the desire for her to keep him in line or the genuine apathy towards whether Odin or he ruled or even worry for the people of the Nine Realms. However, that didn’t change that Loki was…pleased to have her by his side. He was pleased to have (Y/N) with him.

Taglist:

@alexpangender

@technikerin23

@kikster606

@neenieweenie

[wanderingmind867]

My Rankings of Rick Riordan's Books:

Heroes of Olympus: I don't remember them too well now (I can't remember every detail), but I do have fonder memories of this series than of the others. I don't know why. Maybe if I reread it, I'd have complaints or notes like I've had with Pjo. But I just feel a fondness for this series and characters and events. Only thing that'll get it docked marks is the deaths of characters like Bob/Iapetus and others. I'm not a fan of death in my fiction, although I will sadly accept it sometimes.

Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard: Again, I haven't read these ones in a while. But I liked these books a lot. I wouldn't want to live in Valhalla (I'd rather take my chances with Helheim), but the gods and characters were all very fun. Thor and his goats, Loki who has the acid scars (I think), the inexplicable references to cheers all throughput the second book, etc. I know they're nothing like Marvel's Thor comics, but I like both these books and the old 60s/70s Thor Stories. I think I'm just a sucker for mythologies.

The Kane Chronicles: I can't remember if Bes died. If he did, that'll dock some marks. Since I loved Bes. But besides that, my few memories of this series are great. The mobster ghost, senile old Ra, the old huntress god who's convinced jelly babies are real monsters, there's a lot of fun stuff in there that I can recall.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: On my reread of this series at school, I've discovered I'm not too fond of them. For example, I hate the villian. Whereas I remember liking some of the villians in the other books. Octavian, Loki, Set, the mobster ghost mentioned earlier, they're all way more fun than Luke. Other things too, but that's a big one. Also, I hate how Tyson was treated at camp during the sea of monsters and I didn't like how Bianca left Nico to become a hunter in the Titan's Curse, but those are subjective things on me.

[zibus]

Since it seems that Egghead is coming to a close soon(ish?), I've been thinking about what themes from the arc might be able to clue us in to what's coming for Elbaf (and perhaps the rest of the Final Saga). Oda often uses a short arc to set up not just the plot, but also themes for the saga to come. My favorite example is Long Ring Long Land planting the seeds of "what if we lost a crew member" before Water 7 and Ennnies Lobby.

In addition, all of the post-timeskip arcs have had important parallel themes and often plot payoffs to pre-skip arcs. Fishman Island -> East Blue (specifically Arlong Park). Dressrossa -> Alabasta(warlord takeover) & Skypia(Noland & being forgotten). Whole Cake -> Water 7/Ennies Lobby. Wano -> Thriller Bark is the weakest, but all of the ideas of night and Luffy bringing the dawn is super prevalent, Moria is the first person to give us details about Kaido, and we meet Rayuma's zombie.

So following that parallel, the Final Saga parallels Summit War, which, duh. But still, maybe we can pull some information and thoughts other than that there will be a war at the end of it.

Looking at Egghead, there's a big theme of hidden identities. There's some of this with Kuma, but of course its most prevalent with the Vegapunks. Each of the satellites can be thought of as a "mask" of Vegapunk's, and Vegapunk himself is revealed to be an ally when we probably expected him to be antagonistic. There are traitors on both sides with Stussy and York.

This idea of identity is also closely tied to loyalty. Vegapunk's disloyalty to the World Government vs. Kizaru. Stussy vs. York. Kuma's (and the Pacifistas') loyalty towards Bonney. Off the island itself, you get Aikanu vs. Garp and their loyalties, as well as the idea of Sword as a special force within the Navy.

Looking at Marineford, we get a lot about sacrifice with Whitebeard, Oars, and Ace. This is tied to the pacing of the torch from the old era to the new, with Blackbeard sweeping in to claim the top spot from Whitebeard. We also get a ton about family, especially found family and Luffy's family with Garp and Ace (and Sabo). And, of course, there's the war.

So how might these themes and ideas play out in Elbaf?

Well with the themes of identities, we've been told the current prince of the Elbaf giants is named Loki, obviously named after the god of trickery and lies from Norse myth which the Elbaf giants are heavily inspired by. The only other thing we know about Prince Loki is that he fell in love with Charlotte Lola but she turned him down. The presence of Loki, combined with the theme of hidden identities tells me all is not as it seems on Elbaf. When we arrive, someone or someones are not going to be who they say they are. Most likely there will be something related to Loki himself, but there's another possibility.

This idea is not original to me, but besides Loki, who's the most iconic Norse god? Thor, the god of lightning. And which character we haven't seen in a while has the powers of lightning? Enel. We know he's coming back after his cover story on the moon. Perhaps rather than seeing his return, Enel will already be on Elbaf with an assumed identity, ready to wreck havoc once again.

But there are other very important characters on Elbaf, and the most significant one is, of course, Shanks. Assuming Oda doesn't go out of his way to save the reunion for Laughtale, its hard to see how Luffy and Shanks don't meet on Elbaf. Luffy has finally reached Shanks level by becoming a fellow Emperor, and so its time to return the straw hat as promised.

On the level of hidden identities, I don't subscribe to the evil!Shanks theories, but I definitely think we will learn a lot about him. I think Shanks definitely needs to become a much more complex and morally nuanced character. If Shanks is a Celestial Dragon by blood as many suspect, I think that would be a great stepping stone.

On the level of families, Shanks is Luffy's truest father figure, so much so that Luffy has barely given his biological father two thoughts. Given what we've learned about Vegapunk's connection to the Revolutionary Army, and that Saul has almost certainly taken the remnants of Ohara's research to Elbaf, my harebrained prediction is that Dragon and co will arrive on Elbaf as well. If Bonney & Kuma travel with the Strawhats and Nika for a while, that would give the RA even more reason to visit. My prediction is we get some juicy parallels between and completely new understandings of Luffy's two fathers, as well as continued development of the found family themes present throughout the entire story so far.

On the level of sacrifice, I'm really torn. Shanks has already sacrificed so much for Luffy. Having him make a full sacrifice either in Elbaf or soon after seems not exactly Oda's style. On the other hand, Shanks is the last original Emperor. If we're truly going to usher in a new era, can Shanks be there at the top? We've been preparing for a Blackbeard v. Shanks rematch since at least Marineford. Having that promise fulfilled here would be extra poetic. And having Teach take down Luffy's mentor would make him Luffy's greatest enemy in a way no other villain has been. Even if it's not Shanks, I'm convinced there will need a big sacrifice to finally pave the way for Luffy's new era of freedom.

There's so much more that could be said about all the story threads coming to a head at Elbaf. Obviously Usopp's storyline is coming to a head. He will definitely become a brave warrior of the sea, and perhaps supplant Prince Loki to finally become God Usopp. He will definitely lead an army of 80,000. Big Mom will probably return, or at the very least we will learn how she gained Mother Caramel's devil fruit powers - which will probably tell us how Blackbeard and co do it as well. Robin will find the final Road Poneglyph and probably the first big clues of the Void Century/Will of D. from the Ohara research. The Strawhat Grand Fleet will arrive, if not at Elbaf specifically definitely soon after - just as Whitebeard's allies came to Marineford.

(Oooo! just had a thought. Will the Strawhat fleet arrive from the sky instead of beneath the ocean? That would be heckin rad.)

But this post is already absurdly long. Hope you enjoyed my rambles, and we'll see how much about Elbaf I get right!

[charalysis]

Thor

SPOILERS FOR GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK AHEAD

In God of War, Thor is less of a consistent threat, and more of a minor antagonist. He's huge in stature, imposing and comes off cold. He's got the power to back up his appearance too. But throughout the story, Thor is shown to be depressed, reserved, and honestly broken.

Where, though, does this brokenness originate? The obvious answer is Odin, his father, but let's delve into the how, why, and theories I have on the why.

Thor was born to Odin and his Jotnar mother, Fjörgyn. Odin, despite his hatred of the Jotnar, adored Fjörgyn, marrying her. His love was so great that, according to Mimir, he was not the same after her death. It is implied by a lore marker that their own son was somehow responsible for Fjörgyn's unspecified demise.

It mentions that her body shall be borne to "where nevermore the Thunder may find her". In addition, the same Marker says that "for her gift of life, her life was claimed", further supporting this suggestion.

Its not clear when she died in Thor's life, but I have two ideas. One, Thor had a temper since childhood and in a fit, killed Fjörgyn. Two, Fjörgyn passed away giving birth to Thor and Odin, in his grief, blamed the newborn Thor. Either way, this sets the stage for the dynamic between father and son.

In game, we routinely see Odin insulting Thor, belittling him, and generally emotionally abusing him. Based on how used to it Thor seems, it's likely Odin has done that since he was a child. Odin claims Thor can't be gotten along with because he won't accept kindness, and has always been rude. Odin fails to acknowledge that's he is responsible for Thor's lack of empathy and inability to accept love.

Thor was raised as a tool, not a son. Thor's humanity isn't recognized by the person who was meant to love him. Instead, that person was the first to hurt him deeply.

Thor also references the idea of not thinking, saying Atreus's thinks too much, and saying "no thinking" often. This ties into Odin's abuse of Thor. Thor can't question him if he can't have an individual thought, thus Thor was taught to never think for himself.

This is why Sif is so important in his life.

Sif brings him back a bit, helps him remember he is actually allowed independent thought. He's allowed to make choices for himself and his family without Odin butting in. Unfortunately, there's little she, or their daughter, can do. Thrúd is convinced Odin isn't a monster so she doesn't stand up to him. Even when Sif reaches Thor, he struggles to act on her words and suggestions because Odin has the power, and mindset, to kill him if he stood being Odin's pawn. Which, he inevitably does.

Odin kills Thor at the end game of Ragnarok. Kratos finally reaches Thor, convinces him change is possible and in reach. Thor tells Odin no.

Odin runs in through in anger.

This all isn't to say Thor was a pure victim in life, absolutely not. He murdered hundreds of giants, abused his sons, and was generally regarded poorly by all. However, these actions were initially planted into him by Odin. Thor is an example of an abuse victim growing to perpetuate the cycle unfortunately.

With his sons, particularly Modi I think, Thor beat discipline into them from what Mimir had said. Something that Odin allegedly had done to him. Hence why when Modi returned home without Magni and the mission overall failed, he beat Modi near to death.

Thor is so convinced he's a destroyer, a problem, that he continues to perpetuate abuse until his sons are gone. Then he turns further into self hatred and self harm with his alcoholism, which, once more, only serves to further cause his family harm.

Tl;Dr: Thor is a deeply broken man who suffered abuse from very early in life at the hands of his father. He continues the cycle for many years, and when he finally tries to break it, it costs him his life.

[ladyravenjadethe2nd]

Which Fictions are good to Fanfic?

When I write I want to use one of these things from a fandom I'm in.

The world

The characters

The power system

I tend to ask myself the question what anime/manga/book/show is so good that one of these can stand alone for me to work with.

For example

World

Harry Potter/Naruto/Game of Thrones/Lord of Rings. I've found to be excellent starting worlds. You can place any character in these worlds and have an exciting background going on with fun facts and lore everywhere for you to draw upon.

You have a clear picture of the world, but it's lose enough that you can change things and it won't feel off putting.

You want to write a Deathnote fanfic in the Deathnote world? Great. Your in Japan. That's it. Real world Japan at that so you need to do research, but nothing is happening with politics or science or the supernatural that isn't affecting the main characters or being affected by them so if you do something cool you must ask yourself, 'How did it happen?' and 'How would it effect the main story?'.

Those aren't always bad questions, but it limits you a lot.

In HP you want to have a new potion or spell exist that is really important? Super easy. Ancient knowledge found in a hidden tome or new magic dropped yesterday by so and so. Easy. You want the law to be this or that? You want to bring in some conflict with another country? New supernatural creature? Bring in some religion? Easy as pie. The world is set up so that all this stuff could have always been a thing, but just wasn't talked about. It's a magic world. Nuff said.

If I'm writing a story about the world I want it to be interesting enough to stand alone and still be worth telling.

Characters

Most often I'm interested in the characters. I love displacing characters and putting them where they shouldn't be.

Most fandoms have at least some good characters, but there are a few great ones for example.

Captain Jack Sparrow is so fun to me that I'd rather watch him in an Ikea for 3 hours then a Pirate movie without him in it.

A lot of superheroes have those kind of personalities. Thor could be fun on a ranch. You can send Spiderman to medieval times. Deadpool could make watching paint dry be the best thing in the world.

Some characters have so much personally that the whole story can just be them reacting to a different setting.

Then you have characters like Bella Swann from Twilight....She's not going to get any better in outer space or Jurassic Park. If your writing for that fandom you are most likely either fixing her or getting rid of her.

A character with little personally can however become a skin for your oc. If I didn't want to make my own character, but wanted to send someone from Naruto into say the DC world I could use Tenten. But I'd be picking her for her world. I'd want the ninja background without having to give a backstory. It's a pretty boring options when it comes to characters from Naruto.

Lastly Power Systems

Those can be amazing if they are the star of the fic. Like drop a deathnote into any fandom with any kind of character and Boom you got a story.

I'd read lots of fics about an OC that uses Charka just slightly differently and they become OP because of it.

The insane creativity in Nen from HxH is my favorite. You can come up with 1,000s of prompts of characters interacting with a weird power that does anything.

Truth serum, berserker rage, fuck or die, character got turned into a cat? Nen can do all that shit and more.

Anyway just felt like talking about which fandoms I think are extra good for fanfic writing.

Why do you chose certain stories to write about?

[theelectronicstranger]

Loki Season 2 Episode 3 “1893” Thoughts and Theories

          Once Again if you have not seen this episode then please look away. I’m kind of tired today, so I hope these all makes sense.

          I honestly really loved this episode of Loki. I’m glad we finally got to see Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes again. I was kind of worried that they were only going to show up towards the end of this season, so I’m happy they finally showed up. I really liked their dynamic together and I cannot wait to see what havoc they will cause in the future because it seems that towards the end of the episode, they’re setting them up to exact revenge to the TVA and He Who Remains. Also, Miss Minutes knows He Who Remains’ secrets; specifically, the one about Renslayer that I will talk about in the Theories section of this post. I also really liked how Miss Minutes has a thing for Victor Timely/ He Who Remains; almost like an obsession with him. It did freak me the fuck out when she put her face in the mannequin.

          I really liked Loki and Mobius’ scenes in the World’s Fair. Mobius was just kind of intent on exploring the fair and Loki seems to be the one that is more focused on the mission. I also like the scene of Loki looking at the Thor statue and saying to himself “Thor’s not that tall”, which just made me want to see Thor and Loki interact again in the future. I really would like to see this version of Loki interact with Thor because I feel like this Loki is way more different than the original Loki. This Loki is a version of Loki that knows that there is something bigger than him out there and knows that there is something out there that he can’t conquer or subjugate. Sure, we can say that the original Loki towards the end of his life was like this already, but I feel like this version we are seeing now knows for a fact that he’s just a small being in this massive multiverse because he’s actually seen it.

          I really liked Victor Timely in this episode. It’s kind of weird seeing Jonathan Majors in here though because of the recent stuff about him. I feel like at the beginning of the year I had this great impression of him because of movies such as: Creed 3 and Quantumania; but now, I have a very mixed feelings on the man. Anyways, I’m not going to try to talk about that awfulness too much. When we first saw the scene of Victor Timely at the post credits of Quantumania, I did not expect it to be like this. My expectation was that he was going to be this very respected inventor, almost like Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger, but he’s not like that at all. He’s more of a snake oil salesman that sells his non-working inventions to the highest bidder. My favorite being the mechanical trousers one, where a man confronts him about the mechanical trousers not making working and you can visibly see Victor make himself smaller to trick the man that it did work.

I like that this episode sets Victor/ He Who Remains up to be a fraud because for all we know he might be. We don’t truly know why he created the TVA; we’re just kind of going with what he said from the finale of last season. For all we know, it’s just a way to rule over the multiverse. Although, we do see some of his inventions working, so that might suggest that he truly is trying to create order and balance in this multiverse and prevent the multiversal war. I do believe that he knows how to create these grand inventions, but he doesn’t have the technology to pull it off. For example, we see Renslayer use a pruning device that Victor created.

          A quick thing about Sylvie. I really liked her in this episode. She’s almost acting like the TVA with Victor Timely. She even says that she needs to kill him because she knows exactly what he’s going to do and become in the future. She’s not going to give him a chance to change or make those decisions for himself because she already knows what the future holds or at least she THINKS she knows it. It’s kind of like what the TVA did to Sylvie. They tried to prune her because she would create a timeline that the TVA did not want. A timeline that was not in accordance with the sacred timeline.

THEORIES

          I think that the secret Miss Minutes was talking to Renslayer about was either: how He Who Remains took her out of the Scared Timeline, which everyone in the TVA already knows happened to them; how she actually was one of the leaders of the TVA with He Who Remains before everyone’s minds were wiped; how Miss Minutes’ AI is based on her; or how she might be a variant of Kang. Those are my four ideas on what the big secret is right now. I feel like it would be a massive reveal if she was a variant of Kang that was just mindwiped by He Who Remains. It’s like He Who Remains has just kept this version of Kang as his trophy and that would definitely anger Renslayer. I also think that Miss Minutes might be based on Renslayer’s personality, but I don’t really have a hint to that yet. The only reason I think that is because she seems to be the only person He Who Remains was close with in the past TVA in episode 1 of this season.

EDIT: I just rewatched the episode and Miss Minutes said that she was made before Renslayer, so she couldn't be based off of her. Also, I think the secret might be what we heard on the first episode of the season, which I totally forgot about. The thing we heard was that He Who Remains had promised Renslayer that they will run the TVA together and be partners.

          I also think that all of the events we’re seeing now is still part of the plan. Like He Who Remains will always be there at the end of time and that all of this, that we are seeing now, is still in accordance with the plan he set in motion when he died. He’s already lived the next episodes and movies in the MCU, we’re just catching up with him. The only reason why I think this is when we meet Victor Timely and he’s being chased by the people he’s conned, we see him always have an escape plan. It might not be the best plan, but it always goes his way. He’s like this being that everybody underestimates and when you think you’ve caught him, he’s escaped.

          Thank you for reading this whole thing. My mind is kind of foggy today, so I really hope all of these made sense. Have a good day.

[thethirdgenesisbooks]

Five Ways to Name Your Characters

One of the most common problems that authors, especially new authors, complain about is how difficult it is to come up with good names for their characters. Over my many years of writing, I’ve developed a few ways to name characters in stories. Here are a few. Bear in mind, some of these pieces of advice are genre-specific.

Babynames.com:

The site babynames.com is a great source for names from different countries and cultures. You can also look up name meanings or look up the names by the letters that are in them. In general, I recommend against having two main characters in your novel who have names beginning with the same letter, as this can cause confusion. For instance, you shouldn’t have both a “Robert” and a “Roger” among your main characters, because readers will mix them up. Also, while name meanings can be important, I urge you to consider the other factors as well. How does the name sound when spoken out loud? Does the name have negative connotations because of famous people who shared the name (for instance, the name “Adolph” means “Wolf,” which might be cool for some characters, but I strongly recommend against using that name because of its association with a certain, hated historical figure). Also, consider what nationality a character likely has if they have a certain name. A Caucasian boy living in modern California should not have a name like “Shinji,” unless he happened to be raised by Japanese parents, just as a native Japanese boy living in Tokyo should not be called “Stanley.”

Historical Records:

If you are writing in a certain place and time period, it can be helpful to look up names from that place and time period to create your character names. For example, when I was writing my westerns, sometimes I’d do a Google search for names of people who lived I the Old West. Then, I’d take the first name of one person and the last name of another and put them together. One instance of this would be to take Billy the Kid’s real name (Henry McCarty) and combine it with the name of another Old West outlaw, John Wesley Hardin. Together, we get the names Wesley McCarty and Henry Hardin. If you’re writing a modern story, you can also do this with the names of people you know, or other interesting names you see and hear. When you go to a restaurant to eat, pay attention to the nametags of the people serving you, as you might find a name you really like there.

Mythology:

I recommend only using mythology as a source for names if you are writing fantasy or science fiction stories. If you write a modern murder mystery and your detective’s name is “Thor Odinson,” a lot of readers are going to roll their eyes. I’d also recommend not using terribly well-known mythological names either. Names like Thor, Odin, Apollo, Zeus, Horus, Osirus, Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Freya, and Isis are far too well-known to be used, unless you have characters in the setting specifically point out the namesake. Names Fenris, Morrigan, Dorian, and Mordred are also far too common, and their inclusion in fantasy might well pull readers out of the story (again, unless your intention is to specifically invoke parallels to these mythological figures). However, names like Nikke, Selene, Eris, Argus, and Dia are a little more obscure and are less likely to take your reader out of the story. You can also look up the etymology of these names and find alternative ways that they were pronounced and spelled, because names in mythology certainly changed over time.

The Bible:

I know, this one is a touchy subject for a lot of people, but bear with me. For one thing, a lot of names in modern America (and in the Western world at large) come from Biblical names. Peter, Matthew, Joshua, Caleb, Paul, Aaron, John, Michael, Luke, Thadeus, and many others all come from the Bible. You don’t need to have Biblical themes in your work in order to use these Biblical names, because a great many people named “Peter” came from secular families who just happened to like the name, or who wanted to honor a loved one who had that name. Also, if you’re looking for names that sound a bit exotic but also feel familiar, the names listed in the various “begat” sections of the Bible (where it’s just one name after another) can be helpful. I’d just recommend looking up what the name means before using it. I made the mistake of not looking up a name meaning once, and named a villain in one of my stories “Zadok,” a name which means “Righteous.” Those who knew the name meaning would likely either laugh at the irony or just consider me ignorant. Thankfully, I never finished or published that story. In any event, the Bible can be a great source of names.

Alter Real Names:

Sometimes when writing something futuristic, you don’t want real names for your characters, either from modern times or earlier, neither will mythological or Biblical names work in your futuristic setting. We can’t all be Frank Herbert, who’s coming up with such names as Muadib, Atreides, Harkonnen, and Feyd-Rautha, or words like Bene Gesserit, Kwisatz-Haderach, Ginaz, and Faufreluches. Some of us are a little too grounded in reality for that, and often overly-complex words and names such as these end up confusing our readers. So, in order to make a futuristic name, perhaps start with a real name that exists today, and then change a few letters. Maybe remove some letters, add others, and rearrange some. Just as popular names in the real world change over time (see the various ways of spelling such names as “Sean” and “Geoff”), so too would futuristic names change over the years. Even so, your main character probably shouldn’t have too exotic of a name. Maybe give the main character a name that’s one, maybe two syllables long, but spelled slightly differently from its modern equivalent. For example, you may want a main character named “Nick,” but in a futuristic story it might be better to spell it “Nyk.” Or perhaps you want to name your character “John,” and a futuristic version of that name might be “Chon” or “Jahnn.” In any event, changing or rearranging letters in an existing name can be a great way to make your character feel more fantastical or futuristic.

These are just a few examples of how to name your characters. There are still many things to keep in mind, such as cultural context, the way the names sound when spoke out loud, negative connotations or associations of a particular name, name meaning, and whether the name is setting appropriate.

[jmagnabo92]

CBS Ghost Pilot - Ghosts Meet Sam & Jay

This first scene with Sam and Jay at the Mansion is very interesting to me.  The reason being that the ghosts have presumedly had a fews to a few weeks since Sophie’s death, and they’ve been wondering what’s going to happen to the house.  They get all excited or are nervous depending on who they are.  

Discussion and Gifs below

I have to say, I really love this part of the scene.  Sam and Jay are so excited to “have a bunch a space to themselves” and how New York is full of people and their never alone, but they would be there, but then you see the ghosts behind them.  Just such a great visual.  And sort of sucks for them.

What’s interesting in the two gifs above is that you can see Flower, Pete and Trevor (IE the youngest ghosts), are all super happy and excited to see the new comers.  It’s quite different to the older ghosts - Thor, Sass, Isaac, and Hetty - who probably know what it’s like not to have the run of the place and how difficult it can be for their afterlives, hence not being terribly happy.  Also, HOW did I not notice that Alberta isn’t in this scene?  Where did she go??

I love how excited Flower is for Hetty, which is hilarious due to Hetty’s response.

There’s two things are interesting here - first, that Hetty is immediately against Sam due to a ‘saucy’ hairdo, which seems odd considering that she didn’t want  the house to go to random people.  On the other hand, perhaps she feels this way because it’s difficult to watch your offspring make mistakes (well, what you consider mistakes) and not be able to help in any way.  This comes up later in Family Business.  So, I maybe onto something.

Second, she’s holding onto Trevor here.  It’s interesting to me - not just as a shipper - because throughout the serious we see her hold onto three of the men ghosts - Isaac (which makes sense as her oldest friend), Sass (once in Ghost Writer), and Trevor (here, in Possession, in Thorapy, In Trevor’s Pants - not sure about others).  Not it’s interesting because I wonder if she connected with Trevor over losing Sophie - as he’s the only saddened one in that scene as I mentioned before) and if they had a better relationship before pilot.  Because (and I’ll get into this later), it’s clear that there is a change in their relationship from the pilot in the next few episodes, so I wonder what lead to the closeness before (or if I’m imagining it) - could it be knowing Sophie & David or was it something else?

Isaac and Sass are quick to focus on whether or not there’s room for them.  Something that is stark contrast to the younger ghosts that are just excited for life.

This is a weird gif because I’m wondering why he moved like that?  It’s actually what drew my attention to her holding onto him.

What’s really interesting here is that Isaac obviously didn’t have much of an attachment to Sophie - just old lady bedridden, which was great for the ghosts. I totally understand why the ghosts feel this way, but at the same time - ouch to Hetty, whose own BFF doesn’t seem to care that she’s kind of grieving right now?  

Okay, this is hilarious.  They are literally ALL voyeurs.  Pete sets up the whole “watching them” thing, and we know what Trevor’s thinking, but like - okay, they ALL do it, and Pete and Hetty are both acting like they don’t.  The look Hetty Hetty gives him is SO great.  

(This is especially funny because Hetty’s probably offended that he wants to watch HER relative, and then in Trevor’s Body, despite the fact that she’s sleeping with him, watches his parents have sex).  

Honestly, it’s so interesting to me that they give him such BS for it when they all do it - an example of baby ghost syndrome.  They tease him because he’s the “youngest”.  Poor guy.  

I love that Trevor immediately looks at the older ghosts, because my boy is like “oh no - what’s going on?”  You can really tell that he is still pretty new to the whole being a ghost thing.

I love this Gif too.  They’re like curious and yet, cautious.  Plus I love that these three all have different looks on their faces.  Awesome.

I love that Sam is already a believer.  This scene establishes just why she’s so willing to assume that ghosts are real and it’s not just a figment of her imagination.  It’s also interesting that Jay is a non-believer but by the finale of Season 1 he’s like “curses are real” without any proof.

OMG, I love this reaction.  They’re all like “Ah, oh no.”  Trevor literally jumps back as he turns to Hetty/Isaac, Isaac mimics Trevor jumping back while Hetty either attempts to reach out to Isaac or protect Flower and Sass?  I’m leaning towards the first option.  And the others are just kind of like “maybe gasp, whatever.”

Okay I have to love that A) Pete’s down to smell it despite the fact that it was to “ward off evil spirits” and B) that as soon as he discovers that it doesn’t do anything bad, they all chase after them.  

Two things before I end - 1 I LOVE that you can tell they clearly refilled these scene just because how Trevor was before Thor and then after Thor in one gif.  

2.  I love that this sage smells like something different to everyone.  It’s very interesting because it’s basically what attracts them.  Also, love that they bring the Sage back up in Ghost Trap - Sam should totally buy a bunch to make the ghost leave her alone.

Anyway - end of scene three.  Feel free to hit me up if you want to discuss it.