#and he definitely has power struggles with his uncle

[angel-eyes05]

to leave the warmest bed i've ever known

pairing: spiderwoman!reader x miguel o’hara 

summary: after miguel’s fight with miles, you confront him in his office

warnings: this whole thing is basically one big argument there’s SO much angst, implied suicide attempt, HUGE ATSV SPOILERS DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE, im projecting a little in some parts of this ngl (i cried writing a certain section of this, you'll know it when you read it lmao), mentions and descriptions of blood, gore, and death

word count:  4.1k

notes: i watched the movie yesterday…and miguel is on my mind. but i remember reading this namor x reader fanfic after i watched wakanda forever of a similar idea to this and i loved it so this is HEAVILY inspired by that fic, but just make it miguel. i would link it but ngl that was so long ago and i dont remember the author. if i end up finding it again ill put it here. also, just pretend miguel has been doing this whole spider society thing for a couple of years at least, it just needs to work like that for this ik its probably not canon but just roll with it lmao. and yes the title is a taylor swift lyric im so glad you noticed (im so sorry she's in my brain rn with the eras tour)

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The anger boiled up inside your chest as you stormed your way across the lobby. Hundreds of different Spider-Man variants were scattered across the area, some more injured than the others. It sickened you sometimes. How he had so many people under his grasp and just decided to throw some of them at the walls sometimes, not caring how hard they hit the floor because they were all just ammo to him. How despite his denials of it, that’s probably what your role was to him as well. Nothing more than a bullet in his massive machine gun.

You normally tried not to think about it, how his determination towards his goal sometimes meant lack of care for others. But this time he had just gone too far. You always had a soft spot for Miles, watching closely on him whenever Miguel would let you go though scanners of all the different variants. You admired his struggle, but eventual success to taking up the previous Peter’s mantle, and always hated how Miguel talked about him. You knew there was no way Miles could’ve asked for any of this. For the pressures and struggles of being a Spider-Man, for everything causing such a strained relationship with his parents, for the death of his uncle, and for what will be the eventual death of his father. You definitely didn’t.

Ok lets do this one last time. Eh, whatever, there’s probably gonna be 50 other introductions after this one so it doesn’t really matter.

Being Earth-837’s Spider-Man has never been easy. Especially since you were bit when you were only 13 (another reason you sympathized with Miles and Gwen). Your life had followed the order of canon events to a perfect T, your older brother killed in a fight with a robber only two months after you were bit. You tried to overcome the burden of your powers by trying to live as normal of a teenage life as possible, but it was mostly in vain, having to give up multiple friendships and relationships in fear of those you love getting hurt. This was only elevated when your boyfriend Peter was murdered in the crossfire of an encounter with Doc Ock. You didn’t understand. You couldn’t. What you had done to deserve all of this. All you did was just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You wonder sometimes what would happen if someone was in the same place you were when you got bit. If someone else went to the closed down area of that museum and ran into that spider. That stupid spider that ruined your life. Those thoughts slowly started to disappear for a bit. For a few years things were easy. Things seemed like they were finally going in your favor.

You were 25 when it happened. The last canon event. Ever since you were a little girl you hated your mother’s job. Losing nights of sleep over if she would come home or not. She always did though. She was good at her job. Too good though. Good enough to get promoted to police captain, which for who you were, was basically sealing her fate. She saved so many people that day. You were too busy fighting Venom to notice how much collateral damage you were causing in the process. Your mother’s job was to evacuate all the citizens away from the fight. She died shielding a child from incoming debris. A noble way to go. But god was it gruesome. You found her after the fight was over, two metal poles impaling her. One through her stomach and one straight through her face, pools of blood growing bigger below her as she was left there, all the paramedics busy trying to save the heavily injured. You froze when you finally recognized her, unable to at first due to how mutilated her face was from the pole. Suddenly, you were transported back to being a six year old, falling asleep outside the door to your mother’s bedroom so you would know exactly when she would come home. Purposefully falling asleep in her arms so that she couldn’t go anywhere.

When you used the key she had given you to get into her apartment that night, and you slept in her room, desperate to intake anything left of her before she was fully gone. You doused yourself in her perfume so it still felt like she was standing right behind you. You had always loved her smell. The smell of vanilla, curl product, and fancy perfume. They were attached to memories you had of her. Trying on her heels when you were a kid to try and be fancy like her. Smelling her hair in the morning before school to comfort you before she left for work. Despite all of this bringing you comfort, all it really did was cause further denial in your heart. That one day you were gonna hear the keys clacking in the keyhole to your apartment one more time. That’s all you really wanted. You would give everything up in a heartbeat just to hear her police scanner go off one last time. But it wasn’t going to. And it was your fault. Deep down you knew it was. You should’ve done a better job controlling the debris. You had always been a messy fighter, but you didn’t know it was going to mean anything until it was too late. 

How you got up to the top of that building is still a blur to you to this day. But next thing you know, you were looking at the New York City skyline from the very top of the Empire State Building. And at the very edge too. You heard some sounds behind you, but you just decided it was the wind howling from how high up you were. You were just so tired. Everything and everyone you loved was cursed all because of you. And with your mother as the most recent victim, you decided you finally had enough. You took a deep breath, eyes overflowed with water, as you set your foot forward.

Your plummet was interrupted by a sudden contact you felt to your forearm. Shock filled your body as you turned around to look at what had stopped your attempt. The blue hand was massive, nearly wrapping back around onto itself as it held onto you for dear life. You finally looked up at face that the hand belonged to. The mask that covered the massive figure was a strange one. Blue with strange red silhouettes for the eyes. It kind of reminded you of…your own costume? That couldn’t be though there was no way. This must be the afterlife or something. You already jumped and that's why you didn’t remember your way up to the top. This was some kind of creature trying to stop you from jumping down to hell below. His breaths were heavy and loud, almost like he was desperate to stop you. This convinced you that this was real, which caused you to try to escape from his grip. He was stronger than you, and was putting up a huge fight. You were slick though. Once you were out of his hand, you closed your eyes and quickly made your jump. Everything flashed before your eyes. Your brother, Peter, your mom. You were hoping to see them soon. This was very quickly interrupted again when you suddenly stopped falling. Something had attached itself to your stomach. You opened your eyes. A web? This web was much different than yours though. It was glowing a bright, neon orange.

The man was holding onto the end of it tightly with both hands. His mask then disappeared to show his face. His was long, matching how big the rest of his body was, defined cheek bones sticking out. Brown wavy hair slicked back with a few loose strands flying out in the wind. The look of desperation on his face stook out most of all. Why did he care so much? He didn’t know you, and you definitely didn’t know him. “Let me pull you up. Please,” he said to you between shaky pants. You stared at him for a bit before nodding. He slowly pulled you up with the string of his web, each move more careful than the last. As soon as your feet were planted safely back on the roof of the building, he wrapped you up in his massive arms. You appreciated the gesture, but you didn’t return it, still very confused about why he was so concerned. He was so big around your body though, you couldn’t help but feel a little comforted, feeling his still shaky breaths against the hairs of your neck. Soon after, he clicked on some buttons on his neon orange watch and led you into a portal.

The rest is history. You’re grateful he found you that day. It allowed you to meet so many people, Peter B., Jess, Gwen, Hobie, Ben, Pavitr, Margo. They all related to you and you felt like you could share things with them that you couldn’t do with anyone else. You had grown especially close to Peter and Jess, both of them having been in the game for a long time, just like you. They both knew how you felt, having lost so much and growing so tired after so many years. Peter even named you as Mayday’s godmother when she was born, a gesture that caused you to nearly kill him with your hug. Miguel though was different. He wasn’t nearly as social as the rest of your friends, but you found yourself having much more intimate moments with him (in more ways then one). You eventually found out why Miguel was so concerned for you the day you met. He had taken interest in your abilities early into looking for variants for his little “project”, but refrained from roping you into something so dangerous while you were still in your teens.

Once you were old enough though, he started paying more and more attention, hoping to catch you in a fight and recruit you then. But he was always pulled away with more important duties to attend to. That was until he witnessed your canon event. He had seen it happen so many times before through his scanners. It was going to happen. It had to in order for your universe to not collapse in on itself. But for some reason, yours hurt more than the rest to him. Especially how you coped with it. Seeing you wrap yourself up in her blankets and clothes broke his heart. He knew where this would lead to. That’s why he was there that day. To save you. He had to, or he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. You got your own watch immediately, along with your own room in the Spider Society headquarters. He stayed close with you for the first month of you being a member of the team. When he wasn’t out on missions, he was with you. You didn’t really know what to label you two as, but whatever was going on, you liked it. And he did too.

That is until Miles came into the picture. Once Miles was bit, all hell broke loose for Miguel. He was always in some alternate dimension catching some Spider-Man villain who got out and rangled them back over here, falling back over to you more beat up and bruised than the last time. You couldn’t imagine how much stress he was under, the fate of the entire multiverse up to him. You had some ways of helping him relieve his stress, but you wish you could convince him that he wasn’t alone in this. But nothing ever got through to him. He had become distant, aloof even. You tried bringing it up to Jess every so often, but she would just brush it off.

“That’s how he’s always been.” Not to you he hasn’t. This week has been hell though. With Spot making it over to Miles, Miguel had been going into rages all week. You had put up with it for now, but that was all about to stop. Watching how harsh he was being on Miles, throwing so many Spider-Men at an innocent boy, risking all of their lives in the process. Disregarding everything Gwen and Peter were feeling and then throwing Gwen back into her broken world with nothing. He had gone too far. No one else was going to stand up to him about it, so you knew it had to be you. Maybe he would listen, maybe he wouldn’t. It didn’t really matter. He just needed to hear it.

“It’s not worth it you know.” The voice snapped you out of your thoughts, stopping you in your tracks. “You know how stubborn he gets over these things,” said Jess, trying to convince you to save your breath. “I don’t care. I have to at least try,” you responded, monotonically. “I just don’t understand how you can follow him so blindly and not see what he’s doing is wrong.” “Because he isn’t wrong. I don’t know about you, but I’m not just gonna stand by and let some kid’s stupid decisions destroy another Earth,” Jess argued. “He’s just trying to save his dad, I can’t understand how that makes him such a bad person,” you said, finally turning around to face her, shocked when she was closer to you than expected.

“You know exactly why. Don’t be so naive, y/n,” she shot back. “You can’t stop me,” you said staring straight into her. She shrugged. “Then I can’t help you.” She began to walk away. You did to, until you heard her say. “You don’t know how much he cares for you.” You turned around to face her again, but her back was still to you, her head tilted ever so slightly to look at you. “If you really do care for the kid, watch what you say to Miguel right now. Cause you might just give him the final push he needs to do what needs to be done.” You didn’t give her a response, and just simply kept walking. You felt Jess’ eyes on your back as you entered the elevator to get up to Miguel’s office.

The elevator ride up felt longer than it should’ve, as you tried to gather all of your thoughts and emotions together so even if he didn’t listen, your words would still stick with him in some way. You didn’t necessarily want to hurt him (though your fists were telling you otherwise), but you did want him to be aware of what he’s done. Once the doors finally opened, all of that work flew out the window as rage took over your body again, seeing Miguel up there looking at the scanners. The fact that he looked just as normal as he always does made you furious. It’s like nothing happened.

“You know, I could hear you coming in from the lobby,” he said, almost stopping you in your tracks. You hated when he did that. Claiming that he knew what your every move was going to be. Like you were under his control or something. “Yeah, well then you must’ve heard me talking to Jess, which means you know exactly what this is about,” you shot back, stopping to where you could see him perched up there. “Why don’t you just save me the conversation about morality and just come up here and kick my ass already. It’ll save both of us time,” he said, not even taking his eyes off the scanners to look down at you. This only added to your fury. “That’s not what I’m here for Miguel, so don’t you dare try to twist my words here. What you did to that kid was fucked up and you know it.” “Oh yeah, then why didn’t you try to do anything to stop me?” he questioned.

“Because I’m not stupid Miguel. I’m not gonna try to take down hundreds of Spider-Men at once.” “Oh, cause you’re so much better than that?” This wasn’t like him at all. That gentle, kind, and caring Miguel you once knew was gone, taken over by some sort of personal vendetta he had against Miles. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but this all needs to stop before it gets taken too far. You’re getting into a fight you can’t win. That kid’s strong and so are his allies. And if you go any further into this, I won’t be here to help you.” He stayed still and only turned his head to look at you. “And what makes you think that you’re so important to my plan that it’ll fall apart if you leave? Have you really become that pretentious?”

Your body froze. Have I really? No no no, that’s exactly what he wants. If you begin to doubt yourself now, you’ll stay and nothing will change. You knew you were right. He was trying to crumble you down, but you wouldn’t let that happen. “And you really think that one kid is going to ruin something that you’ve been working for for years? How insecure you’ve become.” “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, turning back away from you. You did the same, wiping off your face in anger. “I hate it when you do tha-,” you said as you turned back around, but were cut off to find Miguel standing there right in front of you. He was close. Too close to your liking, although in any other circumstance you would’ve found this attractive.

He tilted his head up, but his eyes were down staring daggers into yours. You hated how much he tried to make himself seem more superior to you. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he repeated, this time slower as if you were a child. “He’s just a kid Miguel,” you said in a low, quiet voice. “An anomaly. And a dangerous one at that.” “God Miguel, all he wants to do is protect his dad, do you know how insane you sound right now?” you said letting out a slight laugh when you finished. You backed away from him a little. “He doesn’t know how much damage he’ll do with this. Saving his father will only prolong the inevitable. His world will be gone within hours if he does this. All I’m trying to do is make him understand,” he tried to explain. “By trying to kill him.” “You always have to exaggerate the situation,” he said palming his face. “But that’s essentially what you’re trying to do isn’t it? Why not snuff out the problem entirely by taking him out!”

He signed and began to walk away while you were talking, bringing up your anger even more. “Yeah, use all the power you’ve accumulated over the years and just take out the small problem! Except this isn’t just a fly on the wall Miguel. This is a child! An innocent boy who didn’t ask for any of this to happen to him, just like how we didn’t. I get it, I’m sorry that this job is stressful, I really am. But that gives you zero right to act the way you are!” You were screaming at him at this point. You didn’t want to. You didn’t want your emotions to get the best of you. But he was being too stubborn. This was the only way you thought you could get to him. You might not have wanted to, but you needed to hurt him now. It was the only way.

“You can’t be so power blind that you refused to accept the fact that there could be a way around Captain Davis’ death. You said we saved Earth’s before, I’m sure we could do it again.” Your anger only kept rising when he kept walking away and didn’t respond. “This is a personal thing isn’t it?” you asked calmly. You knew it was working now when he stopped walking. “Yeah, it it. You won’t let Miles get his happy ending. Because why should he be pardoned of his burden while the rest of us have suffered so much. While you’ve suffered so much.” The answer to your question was confirmed when Miguel stayed silent. “Just because you didn’t get the life you wanted Miguel, doesn’t mean you have the right to stop other people from getting theirs.”

You knew you overstepped the line when Miguel turned around and started walking towards you, fury burning in his crimson eyes. “Yeah, so what! What if that is what this is all about! You should know better than anyone how much this job takes away from you!” he screamed at you, backing you up into a wall. “Why should he get to be let off so easily, while people like you and me have to suffer so much? Don’t try to turn me into the villain here when I know you’re thinking the exact same thing, y/n.” He wasn’t entirely wrong. You had wondered it at some points. “I won’t let you turn this onto me Miguel, this is about you,” you fired back. “Oh no, you’re not getting off that easily. I know you’re thinking it. And you’re right. Why should Miles get let off so easily when you’ve lost so much.” He held your hands in his, trying to connect to you. “And you have mi vida. You’ve had so much taken from you and it’s unfair. Why should he only have lost one person when you’ve had three taken from you. Your brother, Peter, your moth-.”

He was cut off by your hand striking against his face in a harsh blow. “If you’re smart, and I know you are, you’ll keep those three out of them. I won’t let you drag their names through the dirt for something as stupid as this.” You both stood there for a while, both of your eyes looking towards the ground, hoping it would open up to swallow you both as an escape from this god awful conversation. You never wanted it to come to this. In all honesty, you cared for Miguel. You might’ve even loved him, if you were even capable of doing such a thing. You hoped he felt the same way about you, but in a job like this, he always had at least one wall up around you. It just wasn’t worth it anymore. You were too tired to keep trying for something that was most likely going to fall apart in the end. 

“You’re still going after him aren’t you?” you asked, finally breaking the silence. Miguel looked back up at you. “You can’t ask me not to. You know better than anyone why this is so important to me.” He moved his hand up to cup your cheek and kissed your forehead gently. You let it sit there for a minute out of habit before pushing it off your face. “And you must know why I can’t stay anymore then.” His shoulders dropped. “Whatever this thing between us is. It’s over. I can’t stay beside someone who can’t see what he’s doing is wrong.” Miguel’s dropped hand turned into a fist of anger. “Fine,” he spat in your face. “I don’t need someone like you in my way. You’re just a liability to this anyways.” He began to walk away from you back to his scanners. “Just don’t come crying back over to me when your little plan doesn’t work out, cause I won’t help you.” He used his webs to pull himself back up to the platform to keep looking for Miles. You stood there for a second, gathering yourself.

Five years. Out the door just like that. It bewildered you how easily a bond like you two had could be broken all because of one teenager. You began to make your way for the door before you said. “When this is all over…don’t try to find me.” He didn’t respond. Once the elevator doors opened, you rushed inside, desperate to get away from him. So many thoughts rushed through your head as the doors closed and you sunk down back to the lobby to leave. You didn’t have much of a plan. This could end up being a horrible idea. Your gut told you it was the right thing to do though. And that was enough for you. You walked out of the headquarters lobby with a new heart and a new mind, ready to take action for your new plan.

First though, you had to find Gwen.

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a/n: god that took longer than it should've. dw dw i'll do a part 2 if enough people ask for one. im not 100% sure how im gonna do a part 2 cause yk....idk how beyond the spiderverse is gonna go so tbh, we're just gonna make it go the way i want lmao. thanks for reading, ik this was kind of a long one lmao

NEXT CHAPTER

[ismellpestilence]

Things to watch if your favorite show is being affected by the WGA strike

This is everything that I have watched and enjoyed. They are by no means perfect shows. This includes complete series, cancelled series, and series that are still in progress. Feel free to add your own recommendations.

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu; currently on season 3)

Murder mystery dramedy set in a wealthy NYC apartment complex

Staring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomes as three residents who decide to make a podcast about the murder

The cast has great chemistry and the twists are compelling

Gravity Falls (Hulu/Disney; ended after 2 seasons in 2014)

An animated show about a pair of fraternal twins who spend the summer with their con-man great uncle in a weird, monster filled town

Absolutely iconic children's show.

Dead End: Paranormal Park (Netflix; cancelled after 2 seasons in 2023)

Animated YA show about two teens, an exiled demon, and a pug, that all work at a haunted theme park and are investigating the disappearances of some of the staff

Similar in style to Gravity Falls

Sadly cancelled by Netflix, but there's also the graphic novels to enjoy

Reservation Dogs (Hulu, ended after season 3 in 2023)

Coming of age dramedy about four Indigenous teens living on a reservation in Oklahoma as they mourn a friend who died and dream of running away to California together

Made by an all Indigenous writers, directors, and main cast

Scrubs (Hulu; ended after 8 seasons 2010)

Workplace comedy about staff at a California hospital

Praised as the one of most medically accurate medical show

Very much a 2000s comedy. Humor can be jarring/mean by today's standards

What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu, currently on season 5)

A mockumentary following 4 vampires and their familiar that live on Staten Island as they go about their boring, pathetic lives

Makes fun of the "cool, sexy, edgy" vampire trope

Based on a 2014 movie of the same name

Dead to Me (Netflix, ended after 3 seasons in 2022)

A traumedy (trauma comedy) following a woman who's husband was killed in a hit-and-run and the perpetrator who lost her own partner and secretly befriends her

It's funny about what happens but does deal with some heavy topics so definitely look into that before watching

The Owl House (Disney; ended after 3-ish seasons in 2023)

About a young girl who wanders into the Demon Realm and decides to stay there and become of witch instead of going to summer camp

Celebrates being the weirdo and being kind to people

Made by many of the same people who did Gravity Falls

The Office (Peacock; ended after 9 seasons in 2013)

Workplace mockumentary about some bizarre people who work in a boring office space

Features a lot of cringe/second-hand embarrassment based humor

Based on the British limited series of the same name

Very much a 2000s comedy that can at times be just plain mean. Season 1 is the worst season by far so if you can get through it the character become way more likeable

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix, ended after 5 seasons in 2020)

An animated fantasy about a young soldier who simultaneously discovers that her side is the aggressor in the war and that the planet has chosen her to be it's legendary protector. This forces her to leave the only home she's known and her childhood friend to fight for the rebellion, who she thought were her enemies

A remake of the 1985 He-Man spinoff series

Very "defeat them with power of friendship and also this sword you found in the woods"

BoJack Horseman (Netflix, ended after 6 seasons in 2020)

An adult animated comedy about a self-centered, washed-up 90s sitcom actor (who is a horse) as he struggles to become famous again and break out of his destructive habits

Satirizes Hollywood, media culture, and American politics

One of those shows where you aren't supposed to admire the main characters

Big trigger warnings for this one. Seriously.

Good Omens (Amazon Prime, currently on season 2)

Follows the misadventures of a demon and an angel, a witch's descendent, two unskilled witch hunters, a sex-worker, and the antichrist and his friends as the antichrist grows into his power and brings about Armageddon, all set to Queen songs

Based on the 1990 book by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett

The fandom focuses a lot of the shipping side of the show but forget all of that if you plan to watch it

Season 2 wrecked me

Gentleman Jack (HBO Max & the BBC; cancelled after season 2 in 2022)

Based on the real diaries of Anne Lister, a wealthy lesbian in 1830s England who is looking for a wife and to expand her business enterprises

Sadly HBO pulled away and the BBC couldn't afford to make another season without them. What was made is still worth checking out.

Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max; currently on season 1)

A pirate workplace comedy/romcom that loosely follows the real life of Stede Bonnet, a wealthy landowner who ran away to become a pirate due to a mid-life crisis. He wants so badly to be a pirate captain but is far from qualified for the role.

"Traditionally, piracy is a culture of abuse...floggings, keelhaulings. And my thought is, "Why?" And also, what if it weren't like that?" really is the thesis of the show

(Edit) omg I cant believe I forgot:

Avatar: the Last Airbender (Netflix; ended after 3 seasons in 2008)

An animated children's fantasy series in which people can manipulate one of the four elements, and their peacekeeper, the Avatar, can manipulate all four. After being frozen in ice for 100 years, the 12 year old Avatar learns that the Fire Nation has begun a war that he must stop by next summer

Literally the blueprint for the modern animation that we enjoy today. IDK what else to say. It's iconic

Hilda (Netflix; ended after 2 seasons and 1 movie in 2021)

An animated children's fantasy series set in a world full of Nordic folk creatures

After spending much of her life living in the woods with her mom and her pet deerfox, Hilda is upset to learn that her mom now wants to move to Trolberg, a walled-off city where Hilda fears there is nothing interesting to do. She quickly discovers that there is just as much magic and wonder in the city as there is in the woods.

She's voiced by Bella Ramsay and the animation is beautiful. It's all all-around good vibes show.

Interview with the Vampire (AMC; currently on season 1)

After the first interview in the 70s that ended in disaster, Louis de Pointe du Lac reached out to Daniel Molloy and demanded a do-over. He goes back to his life as a black businessman in 1910s New Orleans and the complicated relationship between himself and Lestat de Lioncourt.

It's actually gay enough this time you guys.

I'd also like to add:

The Bear (FX/Hulu; currently on season 2)

A dramedy about a New York chef who inherits a failing sandwich shop after his older brother commits suicide.

Sometimes a found family isn't all sunshine and unicorns. Sometimes its a lot of screaming and resentment and cussing each other out.

It's a very stressful to watch so it's not for everyone, but if you're the type who finds that cathartic then you should give it a watch.

The Sandman (Netflix; currently on season 1)

Begins in 1916 with the capture of the god of dreams by a greedy sorcerer. After he escapes he must rebuild his realm and repair the damage done by his absence.

Trying to describe this show is really, really, difficult. It would be easier to describe what this show isn't.

Based on the DC comic of the same name by Neil Gaiman.

[hobiebrownismygod]

So on one of my recent posts about Hobie, I got this comment from @unnecessary-account and I thought it was really interesting.

Miles has a connection with the Prowler

That's already been established (Prowler Miles)

We know that Uncle Aaron was the Prowler and he was a 'bad guy' and all that. We know that the Prowler in ITSV was supposed to be a bad guy, with his scary theme, the fact that he worked for Kingpin, and the fact that he was trying to kill Miles until he found out who was under the mask.

But the Hobie Brown Prowler is different.

Hobie Brown was a really smart kid who grew up in a really crappy family. His father left when he was a baby and his mom was an alcoholic. He had 9 siblings and all of them were basically forced to raise themselves.

In order to support himself, he became a window-cleaner who used his intellect to build gadgets to make his job easier. When he was eventually fired, he turned to a life of crime, where he would steal money from the Daily Bugle.

But after a confrontation with Spider-man, he realizes this life of crime sucks and he actually becomes an anti-hero. Spider-man even comes to him for help every once in a while and Hobie joins the Silver Sable group, a group of anti-hero mercenaries that includes Sandman.

"The Prowler gives me control over my own life-- and power. Power I can use to protect the helpless."

The Prowler Issue #1

The Prowler gives Hobie power over himself and his identity

It gives him control over his own life and his own future

Now lets connect this to Spiderman Hobie

Hobie advocates for freedom and free speech. He would want people to have control over themselves and their future. He actively fights against a fascist dictatorship in order to provide human rights for all the citizens of London

Being Spider-man means having the freedom to do these things

Having that mask on means being the voice of the people

That's what being Spider-man is to Spiderman Hobie

Now lets connect this to Miles

The first thought Miles has when he sees Hobie is "Damn. He's way cooler than me."

He's jealous of Hobie, not just cuz he's close with Gwen, but because he's an older boy who knows what he wants, does what he wants, and doesn't have to worry about other people's perceptions of him.

He's the definition of cool

Miles in the meanwhile is struggling to balance his classes, struggling to keep his identity a secret and feeling completely alone in his world

He's struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, maybe even a little bit of depression from what we saw in The Spider Within

He's struggling with the meaning of Spider-man

He's working so hard to protect his city, help the helpless, to fill those shoes that the original Peter Parker left behind. Hobie Brown's Prowler does the same thing, where he takes inspiration from Spider-man to fuel himself and his goals

Miles doesn't have control over his own life. At the end of ATSV, he doesn't even have control over his own future or his own fate.

Hobie Brown wanted control and power. Hobie Brown became the Prowler to have control and power.

Miles Morales wants control and power. Miles is fighting against his canon event because he needs that control over his future and he needs that power in his life.

Because both Spider-man and the Prowler are good people that have been put in tough situations.

And both of them want control over their own lives

Miles and the Hobie Brown Prowler share that connection. Spider-man in general shares that connection with the Prowler. I think that's pretty cool.

This analysis was kinda all over the place, mb 😭

if something doesn't make sense I'm happy to explain it though

Sources under the cut:

[justenjoythegossip]

WILL ALBA’S IMMATURITY, RACISM AND ALLEGED INFIDELITY BE USED TO EXPLAIN THE SPLIT?

Regardless of where people find themselves on the spectrum, I am pretty sure they would agree on the fact that Chris and Abba are not endgame. Far from it. The question is not whether they will break up or not. It’s definitely not a question of if. It’s a question of when. It’s a question of how. I already wrote a post about whether or not Chris’ fans will be held responsible for the ending of the shitshow. And given what we’ve witnessed coming from certain blogs last night, it still seems like a very valid and likely option. 

The very questionable medium article…

I will not discuss the credibility of this publication for the simple reason that until yesterday, I had never heard of it in the first place. And I suspect I am not the only one. So I would argue that this fact alone is telling in itself. 

But one has to wonder whether a fan/troll wrote this piece. Or, whether this was written by someone from Chris’ team passing for a possessive fan to hint at a potential break-up. But even if that was true, people shouldn’t expect a divorce announcement so soon. They could be breadcrumbing for a while, like they have been doing since the beginning of this “relationship”. And why wouldn’t they drag this for as long as they can? We know Chris and Abba are both desperate attention seekers and I am pretty sure they will want to continue with the charade for as long as it can benefit them. However this article is more than questionable. And for many reasons. 

Why it doesn’t pass the test of credibility from a PR standpoint…

This article is completely over the top and extreme in the picture it depicts. Chris is seen as this poor innocent victim and Abba as this super uber arch-villain. Given the optics of this relationship (he looks like her old uncle) and the power dynamics at play (he is a powerful Hollywood star and she is a no-name actress from a small country), I don’t need to say that the picture they are selling in that article is a PR nightmare in the making. The caricature is not only absolutely grotesque, but it also reeks of misogyny. 

If people don’t follow other celebrities, I’d like to mention the case of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, which happened fairly recently. He and his team tried to hurt her by doing a very insidious and over-the-top smearing campaign against her but it backfired on him big time. What is interesting is that Sophie Turner did make a lot of strategic appearances with her bestie Taylor but she never lowered herself to play those ugly tactics. She chose to remain silent which hurt Joe even more because again you can’t fight against someone who doesn’t want to fight back, it makes you look like a bully. Obviously Abba is no Sophie, she doesn’t have her career, her popularity or her large fandom but you get the point.

And what also makes this article totally implausible is this: ”Despite his past struggles in the realm of romance, Chris remains optimistic about finding his true soulmate and starting a family.” First of all, no one would ever say that publicly after getting divorced even if the marriage only lasted 5 months and was non-legally binding. It’s a time to regroup, to collect yourself and to reflect. Also it makes him look like an unstable neurotic mess. 

But what this article provoked was quite interesting…

An all-out war between the seemingly psychotic Team PR & Team Real blogs

Majorscammer and her band of goonish cultists completely lost it last night (interesting sidenote: the tone and rhetoric used by all these mods is now completely identical). They were always unhinged, mean, arrogant, and insulting (“bitchy” according to Majorscammer herself) but it got even more insane last night as they patted themselves on the back for having been right all along despite having lied about pretty much everything for quite a long time. They even called their counterparts from Team Real out by names and attacked them violently. Of course, Team Real blogs responded and posted an article on Medium, saying Chris and Abba were still together and proving that people could post anything on that website. They also proved they looked just as insecure and irrational as their counterparts Team PR blogs. If it wasn’t pure show (and it clearly is), we should recommend them to commit themselves to a mental institution.

But as we have witnessed since the beginning, those Team PR and Team Real blogs were always meant to fight. It was always about feeding the discourse, keeping people engaged, riling them up to distract them from the actual truth. And with yesterday’s show, those teams tried to keep the passion going as I think fans are getting tired of the obvious BS. It’s getting so repetitive, there are not so many twists and turns and let’s be honest Chris and Abba are not the most fascinating protagonists.

What main purpose did that questionable article likely serve? 

The answer to that question seems pretty straightforward. All we have to do is to read the last sentence of that article, which is in bold characters in case we missed the point:

“Chris will attend the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2.”

Look at what has been fed to the fandom recently:

A sight of Chris’ doppelganger with no ring

Abba skiing with her friends without the ring

Chris posting Dodger in MA for Valentine

Chris posting pictures of himself in LA without his wife (she recently said in an interview that this is where she lives) from a month ago

All of these are hints and breadcrumbs that Chris and Abba might be splitting up. Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. But the point is all eyes will be riveted on Chris as he speaks at the Con in Seattle. I should mention that this conference will be a live-broadcast on YouTube. How convenient, isn't it?

Will he wear the ring? Will he not wear the ring? We have seen that movie before, haven’t we? Yes, I believe we have! 

[incarnadinedreams]

What do you like about jc?

Oh my goodness what don't I love about him!

Well, first and most importantly, he has a purple lightning whip.

Secondly, you know how the elements of a tasty dish are salt, fat, acid, heat? Well he's salty, he's acidic, he's a spicy Yunmeng boy, and some sources of mixed repute claim he's got a nice fat ass. All the elements for a delicious snack are right there!!! He has the range, the depth, the complexity!

Jokes aside, a lot of it really is just based on vibes. I just... liked him pretty much immediately. My heart was won at "I'm his uncle. Any last words?" and it only got better from there. He's got most of my favorite lines in the book - whether funny or completely heart-wrenching, both directly in his dialog or about him. His sarcastic comments are always hilarious, and he's often enough actually a voice of reason and responsibility (promptly ignored). The vast majority of the time when he's not in some absurdly extreme and traumatic situation he's being pretty normal and seems perfectly likeable to me.

I enjoy that from the start he's mostly pretty practical. One of the first times we see him, he desperately wants to smack Lan Wangji but he's run the cost-benefit analysis in his mind and it's not worth it, so (grumpily) he does not. Some people point out his 'definitely don't start a petty fight unless you know you can win' reasoning as some sort of point of cowardice, but my reaction to that scene was thank god, finally someone in a fantasy novel has some common fucking sense!

Except, of course, on one very specific topic: Wei Wuxian. And then there's like a 50/50 chance all that consideration goes out the window instantly. A little pinch of unhinged obsession adds so much extra flavor! With the amount of overtime he's pulling in sect conferences he deserves a little derangement from time to time, as a treat. And that intensity goes both ways.

That fervent certainty that Wei Wuxian would be back some day, that not even death could hold him - a conviction bordering on madness, except in the end he was right? Hot.

On the other end, he's willing to sacrifice himself for Wei Wuxian and other people who loves over and over and over again throughout the story (even if he's mad about it), until he can't do that without throwing other people he's responsible for under the bus.

To the point that when we get to the big reveal after Guanyin Temple about how he was captured by the Wens... once the shock fades, you step back and think 'wait, why was that even a surprise to me at all?' The guy just took a sword through the chest for Wei Wuxian like an hour earlier (even if it was unnecessary and therefore mostly embarrassing), and was about to run back into that cave at the Second Siege with no spiritual power and a sword he couldn't even lift three days before that, and yet we're surprised he gave himself up back then?

And of course, the same goes for his nephew and I just love them so much. He doesn't hesitate for a moment to offer himself as a hostage instead of Jin Ling at the temple. He may sometimes struggle to express his love in a way that's more palatable than the prickly sharp thing it can sometimes be, but it's undeniably there. When Jin Ling is crying after the Second Siege, it's Jiang Cheng he goes to without hesitation - and that "Who did this to you?!" line, the way he doesn't hesitate to pull him away somewhere private and stick by his side.

Even things that are meant to cast him in a bad light, like his 400 spirit nets fiasco, show him also anxiously helicopter-uncling his way through baby's first "solo" night hunt, complete with undercover agents just in case, is proof that he at least cares very deeply. I think if you look beyond the surface, it's also pretty obvious why he'd spare no expense and use any method to give his bullied nephew the best debut night hunt possible in a society where talent and prestige are incredibly important to his future ability to consolidate power as the Jin heir. He wants to shield him from the same insecurities and pain he felt, especially where being overshadowed was used against him in ways that had specific negative impacts on his ability to protect people he cared about.

Another of the reasons I love him so much is because his grief is so intense that it's palpable. Those scenes post-fall of Lotus Pier where he's oscillating between numbed shock and fury, just... feel so real, and relatable, and resonate in way that's just horribly accurate. It's like his grief jumps off the page, you can feel the hurricane of horror and loss crashing into him. The scene at Nightless City, that moment where he says "Didn't you say that you could control it, that it would be fine?", where the last of his faith in Wei Wuxian shatters and the fracture is complete, like two halves of a whole have finally snapped apart and there's nothing left... I just love the intensity and desperation.

But even more, he keeps going after. He's stubbornly alive, despite it all, and I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for the fact that he's actually able to handle things pretty well, considering the situations involved. He has a breakdown about it and then he picks himself up and gets back to work. He's remarkably resilient, in ways that aren't necessarily flashy or obvious at first. Too much is made out of the ways he's broken or bitter when for the most part he's actually remarkably functional in the face of horrible traumas!

I have been trying very hard not to just spam my favorite quotes in here but this is really my favoritest favorite (from chapter 61) because it just sums him up so beautifully:

... the most laughable one was the YunmengJiang Sect, the people of which either had been killed or had scattered, leaving only Jiang Cheng, who was younger than even Lan XiChen and was still a child born yesterday, who had nobody in his hands but still dared call himself sect leader, holding up the banner of rebellion as he recruited new disciples.

Because he does the hard work, day in and day out. The boring, tedious, constant work - the endless late nights dealing with the constant problems. But he does it, and he mostly accomplishes what he sets out to do.

It's so sad that all the things he does very well get overshadowed by his insecurities, because in the end, hasn't he done incredible things? Hasn't he survived? Hasn't he gone from the youngest sect leader with nothing and nobody that Wen Ruohan could only laugh at, to "No matter which clan you choose to offend, you shouldn't offend the Jiang clan, and no matter which person you choose to offend, you shouldn't offend Jiang Cheng"?

He might be a little scarred, but isn't he succeeding all the same?

(He should probably hire a PR firm to handle the rumors his resting bitch face causes though.)

[deconstructthesoup]

The Hexsquad + Vee in different D20 seasons:

This was an idea I came up with in my brain. If I could draw it, I would, but I can't, so... settle for this massive fucking block of text. Have fun.

Fantasy High

Luz: A human wizard (Evocation) whose life goal is to be the greatest adventurer the world has ever seen, and that all starts with Aguefort Adventuring Academy. She was always considered the "weird kid" in middle school, but she's confident that she'll find her people at Aguefort, and she's ready to take the school by storm... or, at least, find some friends who she can connect with. Luz is definitely the type of person to get her magic-studying done ahead of time, so she's a little bit ahead a lot of her classmates---mostly due to the fact that she keeps on trying the more complicated spells instead of starting with the basics.

Vee: Luz's adopted sister and a changeling sorcerer (Aberrant Mind). She's less keen on the whole "adventuring" thing, preferring a more mundane life, but she and Luz are thick as thieves, and she knows that her sister is definitely still going to get bullied at Aguefort---better to be there so she can have her back. Vee doesn't really remember a lot of her life from before she got adopted by the Nocedas, though she does know that something happened in those lost years that gave her the powers of the Far Realm... powers that she still can't quite control.

Willow: A dwarven druid (Circle of Spores) and barbarian (Battlerager). She's a case study in what happens when the shy, awkward girl from middle school discovers roller derby over the summer and transforms into a confident, punk-rock powerhouse... who still has some of those old insecurities lingering underneath the surface. Not to mention, pretty explosive anger issues. Willow is more than ready to form a kickass adventuring party on top of starting a roller derby team at Aguefort, but so far, she's only got one member...

Gus: A halfling rogue (Arcane Trickster) who skipped two grades due to being a quote-unquote "prodigy," which is a nice way of saying that he's struggling with severe gifted kid syndrome. He and Willow have been best friends for years, to the point where ending up at Aguefort is kind of the best thing that happened to him, even though he's still pretty insecure about his rogue abilities. Since he's younger than almost everyone else, Gus doesn't have a lot of friends to start outside of Willow... so, of course, the best course of action is to join literally every extracurricular. Despite already having a packed schedule. Yeah, he's overworking himself.

Amity: A high elf artificer (Battlesmith) who's built up a reputation as a top student at Hudol---a reputation that, according to her mother, she's completely throwing away by not only choosing to be an artificer instead of a wizard, but purposefully failing the Hudol entrance exam so she could go to Aguefort Adventuring Academy instead. Amity's really just learning how to be rebellious, so she's taking small steps---different academic path, exploring her own passions, dyeing her hair a different color---before she can hopefully build up enough disrespect for authority that she can move out, or at least help her dad work up the courage to ask for divorce papers. She's trying.

Hunter: A tiefling bard (College of Valor) who, like Fig, has only recently discovered that he's a tiefling. Rather than going straight to the rebellious route, though, he's kind of at a loss as to what to do, to the point where he even drops being a paladin in favor of being a bard---though, of course, still within the standard-hero vein. He's been raised by his uncle his whole life, and while their relationship has been pretty positive up until now, it's become fairly strained due to Belos never telling Hunter that his mom was a devil ("I don't give a fuck about safety, Uncle B, the fact that I am literally a spawn of hell is something that I should know"). But he's got an outlet. He's learning guitar and some bard spells.

A Starstruck Odyssey

Captain Luz Noceda: The Amercadian girl who always dreamed of becoming a spacer, she's now the captain of her very own ship, The Selkie, at the age of twenty-six... and she's struggling. Sure, she's joined every union she can, got all the insurance, and has really been trying to keep the ship on the up-and-up, but every time she takes a risk and goes for a more dangerous job, things fail drastically. Luz loves her crew and her ship, and she really doesn't want to give any of it up, but she can't ignore the little voice in her head that's telling her that she might not be as cut out for the spacing life as she originally believed. As luck would have it, though, her new hire has some excellent skills up her sleeve...

Amity Blight-Deamonne: The youngest daughter of renowned inventor Alador Blight and high-society fashion designer Darius Deamonne, Amity's got money, mechanical skills, and a sense of style that's the envy of every femme in the galaxy. She was apprenticing under both of her fathers at the same time, but after hearing that her older siblings had apparently made quite a life for themselves as spacers, she decided that there was no way she was going to miss out on the fun and joined Luz's crew as a mechanic and a "crew diplomat." Of course, Amity isn't the most prepared for the combat that they wind up in more often than not, but she is prepared to do some handy repairs and a lot of smooth talking when necessary. Which is almost all the time. (Also, she lost a leg and an arm in a childhood accident, but her family could afford to have her get fitted for cybernetic replacements without going into massive debt. This has caused her to be a major advocate for cyborg rights.)

Deep-Sea Volcano Eroded By Time, human name "Vee": An Aguatunisian who set off on her Galivant several years ago, she's been exposed to how dishonest, selfish, and uncaring the world outside her home planet can be, which has led her to becoming quite the nervous wreck. True cynicism is something that's pretty much impossible for Vee to really achieve, due to being a psychic being who can tell when people are lying and being fortunate enough to land among folks who are pretty open with each other, but she's still wary of new people until she gets a chance to communicate. Because of this, being the comms officer was the perfect choice, and Vee's pretty comfortable on The Selkie. Still doesn't stop her from going into a panic attack every time the crew gets into combat, though.

Gus Porter (soon-to-be Dr. Porter): Youngest of the crew, Gus is a medical grad student who's interning on the ship for his thesis project---which basically translates to him being the ship's doctor. On paper, he doesn't mind doing the medical stuff, since his entire thesis is on how spacers can maintain a healthy lifestyle while in a fairly dangerous occupation, but more than half the time, he's stuck doing emergency surgery and trying his damnedest not to remind everyone that he's studying to be a doctor, not a surgeon. Despite everything, Gus is absolutely enamored with the spacing life, and he's probably gonna stay on The Selkie well after he finishes his degree.

Wondrous Willow: The beta version of a battle droid that eventually got remade and rebranded as an assistant, Willow has long since given up attempting to fulfill that function and has fully embraced herself as part of the crew of The Selkie. She's a gunner, a heavy-hitter, an extremely loyal friend, and is surprisingly good at cooking---all of which makes her a crew favorite. Of course, despite technically fulfilling what she was designed for, she's still trying to find herself beyond just claiming agency, and it's slow-going for our girl. But she's not called "Wondrous Willow" for nothing, and if there's anything she knows, it's how to tough it out in this galaxy.

Hunter "Lucky Number" Seven: A supersoldier clone turned rugged mercenary, Hunter was designed to save people with smarts as well as brawn, as part of the renowned Hunters For Hire. He and his fellow clones were incredibly adept heroes who helped out anyone in AnarchEra that were in need... until a mysterious individual slaughtered almost all of them, with Hunter Seven being the only one to escape. Currently, he believes that the culprit is his now-slain creator's brother, the elusive and infamous mad scientist known as Dr. Philip B. Wittebane, but that may be a red herring, and the real killer could still be out there. For now, Hunter's found a new squad in the crew of the Selkie, a sister figure in Luz, and a girlfriend in his fellow gunner---and until he gets his revenge on, he's happy for now.

A Court of Fey and Flowers

Luz & Vee: The "twin" daughters of Trickster Court nobility, the two are a rare example of a human and a changeling who decide to remain in the Feywild rather than the Material Plane. While Vee fits in seamlessly in a court of shifters, pranksters, and folks who enjoy nothing more than mischief, Luz stands out in fey society due to her magic not coming naturally and the simple fact that she is a human---despite her parents having blessed her with an unusually long life. As such, she's in the rare position of being more nervous than her sister from the prospect of attending the Bloom, but while Vee has no other intentions than to just have a good time with members of other courts, Luz dreams of potentially finding a match at what some call the most romantic occasion the Feywild has to offer. Though it's uncommon for a fey to fall for a human, maybe Lady Luck is on her side...

Amity: She and her family are all that remains of the Court of Craft, and her father Darius disappeared some time ago. Having only recently come to the conclusion that his husband is dead, her other father, Alador, has agreed to form a marriage alliance with the lady Odalia of the Court of Wonder, something that Amity knows will destroy their court---and she believes wholeheartedly that Darius is still alive. She's at the Bloom for the sole purpose of finding out how to save her court and her father, and romance is the furthest thing from her mind... until she meets a kindhearted individual from the Trickster Court, who seems to not care about the pressures and expectations of fey society. And more than that, she wants to aid her in her cause.

Willow: The niece of Queen Titania and a duchess of the Seelie Court, Willow has attended many a Bloom, and she's used to the whole song-and-dance routine by now. However, her aunt has advised her that this year, the Bloom will be quite a different affair, and it would be in the Seelie Court's best interest for Willow to try and find a political match by the end of the celebration. Of course, Willow's a very free-spirited individual and is adamant about marrying only for love, so she's really just looking for a way to prove to her aunt that she's quite capable of being a high-society woman on her own... until she meets a certain individual.

Hunter: Heir to the Unseelie Court, Prince Hunter is attempting to put his past of just being the nerdy teen who talks about his interest to anyone who'll listen behind him, and in doing so, goes full Mr. Darcy---closed-off, socially awkward, and barely capable of making actual conversation. He fully intended to just spend the Bloom waiting for it to end so he doesn't have to keep on being "a shining example of the values of the Unseelie Court," but on his very first day, he meets the wisecracking and whip-smart Willow, and develops a big ol' crush on her almost instantly... though it takes him a while to figure out how to word it, because, y'know, zero social skills.

Gus: Pretty much the only person who's here for the social drama rather than the romance, Gus is an up-and-coming diplomat of the Goblin Court who's writing a book on the intricately woven fey society---he's intending it to be an anthropological study, but it's slowly starting to become a tell-all expose. Because of this, Gus always has his ear to the ground when it comes to secrets, and it's very rare for anyone to be able to tell him a successful lie... so, needless to say, when he catches wind of Amity's plan, he is one hundred percent on board. (Also, he and Vee become friends almost immediately. Chaos recognizes chaos.)

[unclewaynemunson]

Hello!

This post gives an overview of all my writing. All my fics are below the cut, and you can find my shorter ficlets & drabbles that I only posted on tumblr here :)

Normal things, baby! universe:

‘86, baby! (words: 58k) After they all survive Vecna (death? i don’t know her. and eddie definitely doesn’t either), everyone struggles with getting back to whatever “normal” is supposed to mean and new friendships are forged along the way, possibly even developing into something more eventually.

‘93, baby! (words: 2k) From Wayne’s POV, taking place 7 years after ‘86, baby! and reflecting on some of the moments from that fic, but also readable independently from ‘86, baby!

It’s Christmas, baby! (words: 5.5k) Four Christmas-themed oneshots that give some insight in the future after the events of ‘86, baby!

&Currently working on a Ronance-focused one taking place in the same universe :D

Fruity four fics:

Maybe if I was straight (words: 44k) AU based on the movie But I’m a Cheerleader, in which the fruity four meet each other because they end up in the same gay conversion therapy camp. Also, prepare for MANY supporting characters making appearances. And basically everyone is gay so that’s a bonus I guess.

The time of the year that you really need love (words: 14k) Christmas-themed fake-dating AU in which Steve and Robin, and Nancy and Eddie, pretend to be a couple.

Bee mine? (words: 5k) In which Steve and Robin are beekeepers, Eddie is a baker and Nancy a local journalist. The first chapter is all about Steddie and the second one about Ronance.

Steddie fics (mostly one-shots):

Friends don’t leave (words: 20k) In which Eddie leaves Hawkins, goes off the rails for a bit, and Steve continuously refuses to give up on him. (This was originally a one-shot so you can also only read the 1st chapter (words: 8k) if you prefer shorter fics)

It’s buzzcut season anyway (words: 2k) In which Steve finds out that Eddie’s hair is actually a wig.

The gayest chicken in Hawkins (words: 7k) In which a game of gay chicken between Steve and Eddie gets completely out of hand.

Beyond the yellow sweater (words: 3k) In which Eddie goes absolutely feral when he sees Mr. Harrington beating the shit out of Steve.

Basketball night (words: 1.5k) In which Steve is desperate to get Eddie's uncle to like him, and Eddie is just as desperate to get his uncle to like his boyfriend.

All I needed was the love you gave (words: 3,5k) In which Steve introduces Eddie to his parents.

Roses & Sunshine (words: 8k) In which Steve and Eddie meet at Hawkins’ community center. Eddie is there for guitar lessons, Steve for the daycare center. Misunderstandings ensue.

Not my type (words: 7k) In which Wayne meets Steve at a baseball match and wants to set him up with Eddie. Eddie is very much not into it.

Say you, say me (words: 3k) In which Steve and Eddie don’t quite have the same opinion about what Valentine’s Day is about.

The difference between a poem and a love letter (words: 5k) In which Eddie is a songwriter who likes to read poetry to find inspiration for new songs, and Steve a poet who finds his inspiration in music.

I will love your shadow (words: 3k) In which the bat-attack has left Eddie beyond repair and he has to come to terms with living with a stoma.

I’ll bring you flowers (in the pouring rain) (words: 7k) In which Eddie dates Steve without really believing he changed.

Until you face the rope (words: 5k) In which Eddie faces a trial for the crimes he didn’t commit.

Soul Mate (words: 1k) In which Steve and Eddie ponder what it means to get married and whether or not soulmates exist.

Ronance fics:

I’d kiss you if it wouldn’t kill me (words: 19k; inspired by Pushing Daisies but you don’t need to know anything about the show to read this) In which Nancy possesses the power to bring people back to life with a single touch. When Robin dies at the hands of Vecna, Nancy is there to save her. But there are some repercussions. The most important of them? If they ever touch again, Robin will die – and there will be no way back. After Vecna is defeated and Hawkins seems safe again, the two girls have to navigate what exactly this means for the bond they share.

Chamomile Christmas (words: 3k) In which Robin meets Nancy in a coffee shop on Christmas Eve.

The perfect girl for you (words: 9k) In which Wayne sets up Robin with Nancy, but things aren’t going as smoothly as Robin had hoped.

And suddenly we’re Thelma and Louise (words: 9k) In which Robin and Nancy make a roadtrip from Boston to Mexico, guided by a list of things Nancy feels like she missed out on during her college years.

The art of kissing a girl (That’s what friends are for, right?) (words: 4k) In which Nancy helps Robin prepare for a date with Vickie by giving her some kissing lessons.

Others:

I owe you nothing, I owe you my life (WIP) In which Eddie finds out that Karen Wheeler is his mother.

My life in the lines of your hand (words: 17k) In which the soft romance of my most beloved rarepair Wayne Munson and Scott Clarke gets explored through a series of defining moments for them.

[toomuchracket]

matty had to go out for the day for some reason right after baba was born (maybe 10 days to 2 weeks after and he hated it and tried everything in his power to not have to go). when he came home maybe she’s napping while baba is napping, which he is very thankful for because you’ve had all the late night feedings and he was getting worried about you not sleeping and cursing his parts that were useless. Then he probably maybe spends the rest of the time watching his babes sleep until baba starts to stir but he thinks you should sleep some more, so he takes baba and entertains until you wake up actually feeling refreshed and when she goes to find him she probably finds him being the dilfiest of dilfs

yeah omg so your first baba is literally 2 weeks old and matty gets a call from george talking about some drama going on with production and BEGGING him to come into the studio for a little bit to help sort it. and matty's like :(( about even the thought of leaving you and the baba for a little bit of time, especially because you've been up for so many night feeds and missing out on sleep (i absolutely believe that matty would get up with you for most of them, though - there are times when you send him back to bed because it makes no sense for you both to be lacking in sleep) and his plan for the day was to let you nap as much as possible and he'd look after baba. but you both know george wouldn't ask matty to go in unless he really had to, so off matty pops.

and the work at the studio is fine, it's nothing too strenuous but it definitely needed a bit of trial and error/problem solving to get right, but matty is bordering on grumpy the whole time because he would absolutely rather be at home with his girls. everyone knows this, and they're very appreciative of him coming in - they all ask about the baba and matty brightens up and gushes about her to anyone who'll listen. he gets home earlier than expected, mid-afternoon, and he comes in to find the baba fast asleep in her crib in your bedroom with you struggling to keep your eyes open on your bed beside her. and matty's over at you immediately like "hi, sweetheart, i'm home" and you give him the cutest sleepy smile and hug him and ask how his day was, and matty's like "hated it. i mean it was fine. but i would rather have been here. how have you and baba been?" and you tell him she's been good as gold, all her feeds were fine (she's just had one right before he came in), and you've both been very sleepy today. and matty says "darlin', i think you should have a little sleep, catch up on what you missed during the night feeds", and you kinda protest like "but i want to spend time with you i missed you :((" and matty's like "i'll be here when you wake up, baby, i'm just worried that you're not sleeping enough. go to sleep for me, yeah?" and you're like ok and give him a kiss and then fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow lol. and matty just looks at his girls for god knows how long, thinking about how much he loves you both and how much baba looks like you (like looking at you asleep you literally have the same face lol) and what she might be like when she grows up, and it's all just so peaceful. then baba starts to stir, moving her tiny little arms and beginning to mewl, so matty goes over and scoops her up before she can wake you with her noises like "shhh, princess, we don't want to wake mummy up, not when she's just fell asleep! but you and i can hang out for a bit, that sound alright? yeah, let's go for a little walk". and he carries her downstairs and just chats to her softly as she wakes up against his chest, tiny hand resting against his tattoo 😭 and matty literally just does not stop talking to her for ages, baba just looking at him intently with her sparkly eyes like yours. even when he's changing her nappy, he's talking like "you are so tiny and yet you can be so stinky... that's probably from me actually i think your uncle george has described me using those adjectives before. but you're so cute, my beautiful little baba". and then once she's all cleaned up and comfy, i think baba gets a bit wriggly, so matty lies her down on her playmat on the floor in the living room and leans on one elbow hovering over her, and she's just wiggling about like she's dancing and he sings (idk what song) to accompany her and she has so much fun!! and i think that's when you come in and find them - you woke up feeling GREAT, very well-rested, and you could hear matty singing. so you kinda hang around in the doorway watching them - matty's singing and giggling and saying "oh, i think you're going to be musical too, aren't you? like daddy? that's so cool i'm going to teach you how to play instruments when you get a bit bigger. or maybe you'll be a dancer, wriggling around like that. we'll put you in classes if you want! whatever you like, yeah?", and he's just so enthusiastic and looking down at your daughter so lovingly, and also that one curl is just hanging perfectly over his face and his muscles are all tensed from holding himself up with one arm and you're like... my husband is such an excellent father and also a TOTAL DILF i am winning at life lol <3

[kittensartswriting]

BEAR CASTLE CHRONICLES CAST

Faerathos Cor Mantgamia

Main Character | 27 | Ethnicity: Cerfi | Physicist | Courtier | INFP | he/him | #faerathos

"Physics makes sense. It's hard and complicated, sure, but if I study it enough, learn enough, there is a truth I can find and understand. Then all the pieces fall into their places. People though..." Faerathos sighed and took a long sip from his wine. "The more I learn, the less I understand."

Faerathos is the oldest child of the previous Duke of Cabalusia, and publicly known to be the only surviving one. After the civil war, where Mantgamia clan was ousted from their power and largely killed, Faerathos was taken as a hostage to the Imperial Court as a deterrent for any surviving sympathizers and especially his uncle, who survives in exile. While he has been imprisoned in the court for 13 years, he is treated as a quest and has been able to pursue his passion in science and become a physicist. He has not been allowed political freedom though, for being labeled as a traitor, but certainly his support for the republican cause is not doing him any favors. He is an utopian dreamer, intelligent, empathetic, stubborn and kind of a mess.

The court, where he is under constant surveillance, was a lonely and hostile environment to grow up in, but he at least has his uncle, his aunt's widow, sir Marcus K'irhinzaham with him. Marcus became his unofficial guardian and has since tried to keep him safe, which turned out to be not the easiest mission. Faerathos is impulsive and prone to self-destructive behavior, which often puts him in less than safe situations. Not least of them committing actual treason and poking around court secrets. Marcus is like a father to him, but his protectiveness often clashes with Faerathos' lack of self-preservation. Faerathos has also found an unlikely friend in the young emperor, Augustus, who also feels like a prisoner in the court under his mother's iron rule. (And who Faerathos may or may not be in love with.) However, he also has an on-and-off affair with Augustus' wife, empress Eirdene, which is very much treason. Augustus' marriage is miserable and he cheats on his wife as much as he has time to, but Faerathos still hates himself for betraying his only friend. Despite that and that the affair itself is very much toxic and definitely not good for him, or perhaps because of it, he still always comes back for more.

He has an insatiable desire to make sense of the world, including the seemingly senseless civil war. His clan was accused of conspiring the murder of the previous emperor, which according to the official narrative, caused the civil war. Faerathos doesn't buy it. And when the events of the war are given a critical look, some questions arise. Why would the Mantgamias kill the aging emperor and risk everything, when a Mantgamia (on mother's side) was first in line to the imperial throne? Why did Faerathos' uncle, who was executed for the emperor's murder along Faerathos' aunt and cousin, leave a cryptic message about knowing too much and a diary with dozens of torn off pages? And most importantly, how and why was there an ancient colossal dragon in the siege of the Bear Castle?

Asking those questions is dangerous business under the authoritarian rule of the empress dowager Verginia. As he dives into the secrets of the court, he finds dangerous magic, assassinations, political power struggles, cults and ancient gods.

Tag list under the cut. Let me know if you want to be added or removed!

BCC tag list: @siarven @worldbuildng @emilyoracle @frvnwrites @kainablue @writingrosesonneptune @contes-de-rheio @faelanvance @outpost51 @dotr-rose-love

[awakefor48hours]

I definitely think Ben 10 is a great series if you want to see a super hero series that doesn't have the typical plot points that other heroes have.

Batman is a wealthy man whose parents died in front of him as a kid. Superman is a man whose home planet was destroyed. Spider-Man had to deal with the deaths of his parents and uncle.

But it's completely different for Ben.

As we all know, it started when an alien device did what it did and stuck itself upon his wrist with secrets that it hid so he didn't have to sacrifice anything for his powers. Both of his parents are not only alive but they're well and they don't hate him. He doesn't struggle financially. His school life is pretty normal and his identity (in the later seasons at least) is public.

While I definitely think darker aspects can be important to a character and can keep a story grounded in some type of reality, it's really refreshing to see a character like Ben, a kid who just has super powers.

[verymuchimmortalcat]

Consequences

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month Day 3: Meeting the JL and Day 6: The JL Babysitting ao3 @maribat-bdbwm

When Marinette offered to be the one to try if the space power ups she’d made for the kwamis worked she’d never really expected this. She’d just been floating around in space, making sure her suit was fully functional in peace except she’s definitely been cursed at birth to never have a peaceful life and the watchtower was close enough that they’d spotted her and sent Martian Manhunter to bring her back to the watch tower.

They’re currently waiting at one of the entrances. She doesn’t know why and the superhero beside her hasn’t been particularly forthcoming with information. A few minutes later a few heroes appear at the end of the hallway. She relaxes in relief when she spots Red Robin’s god-awful costume. Tim can just explain things and she can go back to the bakery and sleep for the rest of the day.

Tim does not do that.

Apparently, he’s still mad at her for dumping a large amount of glitter in his room. In her defence, she had been bored and the glitter was biodegradable. Not that it was any less annoying.

She glares at Tim as Aquaman and Green Arrow have a hushed discussion with Red Robin's occasional extremely unwanted input. In the end, she’s taken to a meeting room and what feels like most of the Justice League is gathered there.

This is not how she imagined her first meeting with the JL would go.

As she explains the Paris situation to the heroes, Marinette considers the pros and cons of fratricide. Currently, there are more pros and every dumb question directed at her is not doing Tim a favour.

No, she is not the only Parisian hero. Yes, she has a partner. Yes, she’s had prior training. No, she doesn’t have a mentor (which is technically true, it’s not like she can say, “Actually, I’m Batman’s daughter.”) Yes, they’re handling it. No, the JL doesn’t need to intervene and so on and so forth until Marinette is one step away from yelling at all of them.

As they continue to bombard her with questions Marinette wonders how Timothy Jackson Drake, he died as he lived: being a fucking idiot would look on a headstone.

And then Flash asks, “Wait how old are you? You don’t look old enough to be one of two heroes responsible for a whole city. You don’t even have any other support!”

Tim snorts but he hides it with a cough. Marinette would like to exchange her brother for a pet, maybe a dog. Damian would agree with her.

She breathes in deeply, trying to calm down before she replies. Not that she gets the chance to. The rest of the members start to speak over one another and she gives up. Maybe she’ll sneak out once she’s sure they definitely won’t notice assuming Tim doesn’t tell on her, of course.

As the justice league continues to fuss around her, she works out her escape plan. Next time she should let Adrien be the one to test the power ups. He probably wouldn’t mind this.

She hears Green Arrow say, “We should probably call her parents, right?”

“Do you really think she’d tell us how to contact her parents?” Green Lantern shoots back. Tim is no longer trying to hide his amusement but no one notices, too busy trying to figure out what to do with her to question Red Robin’s odd behaviour. Asshole. She’s dumping more glitter in his room the next time she visits.

“We can just ask Bats to look into it.”

“Ask me to look into what?” The whole room quietens at the sight of Batman and Superman.

Marinette grins. Finally! She can leave. She stands, smiling, “the Justice League is apparently interested in babysitting random teenagers they find in space.” Her dad stares at her for a moment before sighing.

The whole Justice League is staring at the scene before them in confusion. Except for Tim and Uncle Clark. The two of them are trying very hard not to laugh.

“Ladybug, you’re too old to require a babysitter.” Marinette has never heard her father sound so done with their shenanigans that she grins, behind her Tim is openly laughing.

She struggles to answer in a way that doesn’t give up her identity. Fuck it. It’s not like the league isn’t trustworthy when it comes to secret identities and nor do they live in Paris.

“I’m aware but your lovely co-workers are treating me like a baby and my asshole of a brother isn’t helping the situation at all.”

“I’m not sorry,” Tim says unabashedly and Marinette knows even without looking at him that he’s smirking.

Turning, she glares at him, “Nor am I. I hope the glitter never gets out of your clothes. And if somehow it does, I’ll add more.”

He narrows his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t dare. Alfred would be so mad.”

“I’ll enchant the glitter to stick to you and only you.”

“You can’t actually do that.”

She frowns, “You don’t know that.” Tim does in fact know that. She spent an hour complaining to him about how hard magic was just last week but she’d rather die than lose an argument with her siblings.

B interrupts before Tim can reply, “Please stop. You’re terrifying the others.” He’s right, she realises as she looks at the faces around her. Not that she cares. Though he probably wishes she would. But he’s one step ahead of her and before she can continue her argument her father says, “I’ll let you two drive the Batmobile.”

“For the whole of next month?” her brother replies.

“Next week.”

“Three weeks,” she tries.

He sighs again, “Two weeks.”

“For each of us.”

“… fine.”

She glances at Tim questioningly. He nods. She beams, “Okay!”

“Now please go home.”

She grumbles before grinning and waving at the league members. “Bye! It was nice to meet you!”

She breaks into laughter at their gobsmacked expressions. Her father just sighs. Uncle Clark is the one in the end to get rid of the two of them. Gently steering them towards the exit and telling them he looks forward to seeing them on Sunday for dinner before closing the doors in their faces. She wishes she could stay back longer and make the members of the Justice League question their life decisions a bit more but oh well. At least she gets to drive the Batmobile. She can’t wait to go home and tell the others about it.

[dreamsndmadness]

In your fic at this point would Feyd have sex with someone besides Paul? He seems to get jealous of other people taking Paul’s attention from him(regardless of whether or not it’s sexual) but does he think it’s the same way for Paul? I was expecting him to show interest in other people besides Paul due to his hypersexual personality and seeming disregard for committed relationships but he seems very focused on just being with Paul.

I guess the core of what I’m asking is: How does Feyd view his relationship with Paul?

Or maybe he just doesn’t think about that stuff lol :)

Ahhhh I love that you asked this 😝. Cause actually in my first draft of the story I was considering having Feyd have sex with other people at a certain point in this story and not really think anything of it. But really, it just doesn’t fit with the story I’m trying to tell. So to kinda answer (one) of your questions, Feyd is definitely not a monogamous person. However, Paul is. So that’s going to be a thing. Later on in their marriage, Feyd is going to beg Paul to let them have threeways or orgies or something. And Paul is going to consider it! The act of it happening will probably be much later on in their marriage when their relationship has deepened and trust has been built more. But! Paul will pull out some dirty talk surrounding the concept as a compromise lol. At this point in the story, I don’t think Paul would be particularly phased by Feyd sleeping with other people. But it’s not going to happen in this story.

Also yes, Feyd has some misguided and confused jealousy surrounding Paul, mostly focused on Jessica. He has definite possessive feelings towards Paul. And he is very annoyed with how close Paul and Jessica are. He’s also got some confused feelings about Jessica as well.

How does he view their relationship? I am so excited to talk about this lol. I don’t think he’s ever had a ‘relationship’ quite like this, where it’s a person that he sees as an equal and is “his”. I think Feyd is used to viewing people that are not a part of his immediate family as not actual people but as things/objects. So he’s confusedly trying to work through that as Paul almost immediately got put in the “real person” category in his mind. But I also think he’s never had a friend before either. And he wants to be friends with Paul too. He thinks he’s cool and pretty and he has a cruuuuush lol.

I think Feyd has had a lot of sex. However, I don’t think Feyd has had a completely consensual sexual encounter in his life. I think he either has relations with his uncle. Or he goes through a series of male and female concubines that he has power over that can’t really consent. He doesn’t see those people as people and doesn’t care about their pleasure. When he starts having sex with Paul, it doesn’t fit into either category that he’s used to and we can see that confusion in him where he's struggling to find out what Paul wants or expects and is very confused by ALL of Paul’s reactions.

While Feyd is not an introspective person—certainly more of a reactive person— he is trying to navigate this completely new relationship as best as he can.

I hope that kinda answers your questions 😝. Sorry it was kinda long and rambly. I just have so many thoughts about him.

[thecrusadercomrade]

Playing ANF for like the 5th time lol, just restarted Episode 3 and wondered what you think would've happened if David did come back to the house during those 3 months Javi and the family were there?

Hmm, that's an interesting question! I feel like there'd immediately be a lot of tension between him and Kate/Javi. While Kate has probably been hoping he'd come home, there also might be a part of her that is relieved it's just her and Javi (and the kids) since their marriage was already falling apart pre-apocalypse. She and David would butt heads a lot about what to do next, where to go, and of course Gabe would always take his dad's side, making things even worse. We saw at the beginning of episode one that Kate has become pretty meticulous as a survivor, even timing how fast the herd was moving, so either she would clash with David over leadership, or that part of her development would be stunted with David always taking charge.

Meanwhile with Javi, assuming he doesn't pursue anything with Kate, I feel like things between him and David would actually turn out okay. There'd be a lot of struggle and arguing at first with David still refusing to let go of who Javi used to be, but as the apocalypse goes on and Javi proves that he's a capable surviving, and devoted to protecting their family, I think David would come to respect him a lot more. They'd make a powerful duo going out on runs for supplies and fighting muertos.

As for the kids, Gabe might turn out even worse than he was in canon if David doesn't get his own act together. Gabe clearly looked up to his father a lot, and if David is always making everyone go along with his plans and fighting with Kate, Gabe WILL pick up on that, and probably also give Kate a hard time. Maybe David will start to mellow out under these different circumstances, causing Gabe to calm down as well, but if not, it could lead to trouble.

Meanwhile with Mariana, there's not really much canon information to go on in regards to how she'd react to her dad being around. She dies before David comes back into the picture, and we never learn much about what their dynamic was like. We DO know that Mariana has an aversion to conflict within the family, so I could see her drifting towards Javi as someone she's more comfortable around when Kate and David get into one of their arguments. If she lived longer than in canon, she'd become a mediator for the family, but in the meantime she'd be under a lot of stress with David and Kate fighting and Gabe being a jerk. Uncle Javi would definitely be her refuge.

As for how the actual STORY would go... that's hard to say. Would the New Frontier have even formed without David around as one of the founding members? If not, then the story is completely averted. Perhaps the Garcias would still come to these locations and encounter people like Clementine, but the circumstances would be extremely different.

[jinxybri]

so... i've been having thoughts about Forgotten Stars again.

i re-read forgotten stars a lot. i re-read all of my writings but especially forgotten….

there are a few chapters in forgotten that mean so much to me, that i managed to write out so brilliantly (at least to my standards) that portray what i wanted them to.

this'll have spoilers for the current version of forgotten stars so be wary. (note: i will rewrite forgotten stars at some point. that point is not today. not yet :] )

chapter 7 when Ocie finally finds out about Rae not remembering himself or his friends. how she breaks down, how the weather outside the library also breaks with her and how she fears what she is feeling because she doesn't know the extent of her powers.

chapter 9 where Athena tells Icarus about Rae and especially how they open up about how much it hurts them that the uncle they know is gone and how they dont know how to fix it

chapter 11 is definitely my top 3 with how i wrote how Rae himself is struggling with himself. how things feel familiar and yet he doesnt know why. how he sees how much effort Athena is putting into all this and yet… he can't help. and then he goes to the portal and there is nothing. and then he panics and runs and runs until he no longer breathes and crashes. how he feels utterly useless cause he can't help someone he knows he cares about and yet the feelings feel false because he doesn't know why he has them.

chapter 12 is a goodie too cause it shows Caspian, struggling with everything - with feeling lost, with Rae, with Momboo.

chapter 14 is an another top 3 for me and it has my favourite beginning… which is just Soup. how I managed to write about Rae's inner thoughts and how everything felt like home and yet… at the same time it felt like the furthest thing from it. how talking with Caspian felt so familiar, how laying in that bed and sitting on that couch he felt at home and yet… he couldn't justify staying.

chapter 15 perfectly shows Athena's inner thoughts with how things arent progressing enough or fast enough for them and how they struggle with that. and then Rae's pov of him choosing to fight for her, choosing to stay and focus on Athena and Ocie instead of chasing after the feelings of home elsewhere

and then finally chapter 19. one of my favourite chapters. where Athena finally hits a boiling point and his powers activate and he has no control over them. how she scares both of his uncles and surprises the god of creation and then finds solace in how Rae cares for them. how they choose to fight for him, too.

guys if you cant tell, forgotten stars means so much more to me than just a fable fic. in its core, yes, its a fanfic and yes its about premade characters but i've put so much into it. i continue to pour my thoughts into it despite not having worked on it for months now. how i keep thinking of how to better guide the story and how many more ideas i have.

[sarilolla]

Ghost anon here (I’m back :))

You know how they say that babies and animals can see ghosts?

I just imagine either Tiny Diamond, Clampers, or maybe the youngest of Bruce and Brandy’s kids just looking off and pointing,

Because look, it’s uncle Branch, but he’s being silly and floating, why can’t you see he’s right there

Before anyone else could see ghost Branch maybe he at fist can only be seen by small children

(I’ll leave you to do with this as you please)

Okay byeeeee

Hi Ghost Anon!!! :D

Yes I have planned that! Small kids and the different critters definitely see Branch around town, and sometimes he latches onto Trolls to visit other places. He enjoys going with Bruce, having fun with the kids even if it kinda hurts Bruce (since he can't see him and believe the kids are trying to cheer him up in their own way). Tiny and Clampers see him too, but they listen to him a bit more when he says they shouldn't mention that he's there-

Branch, despite the sadness of it, would love being a ghost uncle. He can keep an extra eye out for the kids, be the good "scary" creature, and he gets to sing for others with the knowledge that if he feels embarrassed he can just... vanish for a moment

I imagine Rhonda adores him. He was the one who got her back to Pop Village when JD isolated himself after his death, so she's really fond of him despite the fact he struggles petting her and he doesn't smell like anything, he's good in her eyes.

Since I'm gonna combine the ghost ending with the "Poppy has a kid" ending, I imagine it takes for that kid to push Branch to show himself more. Not to mention he would probably have to build up the energy for it. And then he would be more visible for others while still having his sick ghost powers-

Thanks for the ask ^^

[ben-talks-art]

The way Bendis wrote Miles during his run of Ultimate Spider-Man had very interesting ideas but not the best execution

Now I just want to make this clear, I like Miles' initial runs and his character, I'm not someone who goes "Oh, things only got better once Bendis left!" No, I do like a lot of things in his run.

But I do have a few problems that I want to talk about a little.

The premise of someone taking the mantle of one of the greatest heroes of their time and trying to live up to the expectations and pressure while also trying to get out of his shadow and learning to be his own thing is honestly a great idea and a very relatable thing for teens to connect with since so much of being a teenager is (thanks to evolution of social media) about anxiously comparing themselves to others and wondering if they're as good as they should/could be.

He's basically what Hal Jordan was to Abin Sur. He's the new guy that's constantly being compared to the old guy, except he's a kid, which leads to even more anxiety and insecurities.

I also like how, while Peter became Spider-Man due to a lack of action caused by disinterest and arrogance, Miles became Spider-Man due to this same insecurity and fear of not being good enough to do it.

This feels like a nice way of showing the change in struggles through the passing of time.

People back then felt that they knew everything, so they were more arrogant, and people today always feel like they don't know enough, like they're not good enough.

Teens back then felt they were invincible, and teens today feel like they're made of glass. It's a nice way of differentiating Peter from Miles.

The issue was that while the struggles was there, the overcoming of the struggles would often come a tad too easily.

Miles had a bit too easy of a time winning over most of his challenges, almost, ALMOST, in a "Gary Stu" kind of way.

You can even see that in the way Miles's venom blast was basically an "I win" button.

His victories would often feel like they came because the plot says so, not as much because he truly learned a valuable lesson or proved himself. He had great setups for solid character arcs, but often seemed to skip the climax of these arcs and goes straight into the victory.

Bendis just has this weird habit of dunking on his own characters and making their lives miserable and proceeding to say "They matured because they learned how to live with it after enduring a great pain, that's what being an adult is." Like, his characters don't really feel like they finish their arcs, they usually feel like they just learn to accept things suck sometimes, and then they move on.

Like, for example, when he assumes he killed his uncle by accident, we never really see him dealing much with the idea that he needs to learn to control his strength and impulse, he just finds out later on that he died due to a malfunction on his suit. This was a missed opportunity for him to mature a little, and his run has a ton of those, a ton of "Don't worry, Miles, you're doing great just as you are! 👍"

Like... that's not what being a teen is. Being a teen is about messing up and learning why they messed up and how to be better.

Miles was a good boy with a lot of room for good lessons, but the lessons kinda came too fast and easy to him at times so they didn't always carried the weight they could, but you could still grasp the idea of the lesson.

He was a good character, but he definitely needed another hand to unlock his full untapped potential, and the Spiderverse movies did exactly that.

You can see in the way they actually let him be a mess in the movies. The kid makes mistakes, he broke the pendrive that would stop the collider, he was a scaredy cat, he sucked at talking with girls, he didn't had control of his powers, and his initial motivation was revenge, not wanting to help people.

The initial Miles runs were definitely not perfect, but you can still see that there were a lot of good ideas waiting to be used around him, the passing the torch, the anxiety and insecurity, the learning the ropes, and so on, they were all there, they just needed to be properly used.

A lot of people often say Spiderverse basically fixed or reinvented Miles, but I think that's unfair to Bendis, and I feel a more accurate term would be that they "saw the vision" of what he was trying to do and gave it a proper polishing.

They made him flawed, more human, and thus gave him room to actually grow and evolve, and watching characters growing and maturing is always one of the best parts in any narrative.

They took what was good about him and added some much needed elements to enhance and emphasize that good, bringing us the hero we have today.