#finally watching the second black panther w my dad . what is he doing here

[callixton]

richard schiff in my marvel movie??

[palmett-hoes]

Hi, I really loved your post with the monsters as Birds of Prey! Was wondering if you had any thoughts on the Foxes as Marvel or Mcu characters? I feel like I could see Dan as Carol Danvers and Andrew for sure is Jessica Jones, idk about the rest.

oh wow old post!!

haha unfortunately i’m not really a comics person so i don’t feel like i can really give the best analysis possible, but i have seen most of the mcu movies and bits and pieces of the netflix show so i’ll try my best. also im using dc characters too bc i want to

1. Dan: I think your instinct with Dan as Captain Marvel is spot-on (at least uhhh,, based on the movie lol sorry comics ppl). Her direct, forceful powers and fighting style are definitely reminiscent of dan’s no-nonsense leadership approach. similarly the themes of overcoming sexism and acceling in a male-dominated industry in the captain marvel movie is pretty much the same as dan’s story establishing herself as the first female exy captain (tho sports is way more valid than the military). plus there’s a lot of emphasis on love and friendship between women that dan is ALL about. also lashana lynch would be a god tier dan wilds fc. Dan could also def have that lawful good Okoye from Black Panther energy. Loyal, disciplined, no-nonsense leader. no powers except discipline. no hair. also danai gurira in 2012 with the dreads and the sword and the cape on TWD was definitely part of my middle school sexual awakening

2. Kevin: Aquaman. this is based pretty much exclusively on the fact that jason momoa is my #1 kevin fc and also that Pasifika kevin is phenomenal and mandatory, actually. otherwise i think he has a decent amount of stick-up-the-ass cyclops energy. or dick grayson nightwing energy but i don’t have any evidence for why. kinda looks like him tho

3. Andrew: andrew gets the most characters bc he’s my favorite. i think ur jessica jones instincts are absolutely correct, both in her storyline (i only watched the first season) and her powers. i’ve seen some powers au and the tendency seems to be giving andrew like,, psychic powers or the like, and i don’t really agree. andrew is a very direct character. he’s pragmatic, he confronts problems head on, and he doesn’t muck about in details. to me this really translates best into physical powers like super strength that help u big punch straight thru all ur problems. also i def think andrew would be not just a solo hero but a mercenary (or a detective) because he’s not altruistic enough to be a standard vigilante. he doesn’t care enough about other people to hang out on rooftops all night waiting for Crime to occur. there’s a price for that.  which brings us to the NEXT andrew hero: deadpool. maybe in personality more of a drugged andrew but the superpowered mercenary is really a perfect fit for andrew. also, healing powers have a decidedly tragic poetry to them on andrew. already he’s self-destructive, if he had a healing factor his concern for his own well-being would be so beyond rock bottom it’d be in the earth’s core. even worse when you remember that with a healing factor, as opposed to indestructibility, you still feel all the pain. which brings us to Wolverine and X-23, who have the same thematic points as deadpool but are much more of a personality match and they have knife hands, which i really think andrew would appreciate. ending that sadness train and onto another tho, andrew’s aesthetic and Vibes fit the Winter Soldier just SO well (just that movie tho, not really civil war or anything past that) and a reinterpretation of the captain america story using the twinyards would be incredibly interesting. and finally, one last hero that would work really well for andrew: rogue, only remove the angst around not being able to touch people, andrew would love that. one touch and their comatose? baller. don't fucking touch him.

4. Matt: Shazam. I didn’t see the shazam movie but my dad and brother did and they said it was very funny and all the trailors looked like it had a lot of fun himbo energy and i really think that fits. in terms of matching himbo disaster energy i think i’ve heard good things about comics hawkeye (not mcu). thor?

5. Aaron: Mr. Fantastic. now this might be a stretch but aaron is a character who uses a skin-deep veneer of anger to cover the fact that he’s actually quite pliant and bends to other people’s wills. and he’s a doctor or w/e. he could alse be like,, antman. he’s smart right? hank pym not paul rudd. katelyn can be wasp

6. Seth: Arm Fall Off Boy. no i will not elaborate.             ..... ugh fine, but i'm using my favorite piece of superhero media of all time: x-men evolution, the one where they're all teenagers in public high school. seth can be lance alvers/avalanche who’s a bit of a jerk and has a lot of issues with authority and has a rivalry with cyclops very reminiscent of seth with kevin, but still there’s the recurring theme that he’s lashing out because of low self-esteem and a bad situation and he’s a surprisingly sympathetic character who i’m very fond of. his power is earthquakes but i think the name makes that pretty self-explanatory

7. Allison: Iron Man. cocky, bitchy, and rich rich rich. sounds like allison to me. then to elevate it a level higher: emma frost, rich bitch extraordinaire. also if allison had telepathic powers she would be unstoppable. plus one more bitchy, morally-gray blonde (but chaotic this time): Harley Quinn

8. Nicky: Okay so I do wanna give a quick shout-out to Northstar, the first openly gay comicbook superhero, who’s a speedster which I’d actually say fits Nicky pretty well. However, if i had to choose a superhero to represent nicky in presence and powers it would have to be Jubilee from x-men (... from what i’ve heard lol. i’ve never actually consumed any of her Media hahaha anyway) she’s a joyful, energetic presence and her powers are setting off fireworks which i think is a good balance of nicky being a supportive cousin-parent AND a chaotic train wreck garbage trash man. also gonna throw in johnny storm for a cheap 'flaming' joke

9. Renee: Thunder/Blackbird from Black Lightning bc she’s a fufkin lesbian lol. (i don’t watch the show but i do follow nafessa williams’s tag). now the fr ones i’m gonna do together because to me they have the same Vibes so i chose them for the same reasons. Wonder Woman and Storm who to me have the same  reserved, impartial, regal energy. honestly ethereal and somewhat otherwordly, and quite literally goddesses. also op as hell.  black widow and her “red in my leger” looking for redemption story also fits thematically.

10. Neil: okay lazy answer first: the flash or quicksilver. get it? because they run fast? and neil run too? yea i like to think i've proven myself to be better than such a surface level interpretation but worth the mention ig. so for srs now, mystique and her shape changing powers would be an interesting interpretation of neil's identity issues, but i wanna push it a step further. nightcrawler would actually be possibly the MOST interesting hero to apply to neil 1. because powers still very movement go fast place to place 2. because of the thematic focus on neil's unusual looks and the lengths he goes to hide them, very much in line with the way nightcrawler will use a hologram-projector in order to look human, yet in both cases it's only a surface-level illusion, and 3. his parentage. here, mary would be mystique, which i also think works very well considering mary seemed to be the far more effective chameleon on the run than neil, and also fits with her place as a morally grey character, as mystique herself is often a villain or an antagonist, with her own agenda and shadowy motives. then nathan matches well with nightcrawler's father: azazel, a literal demon, and also where kurt gets his appearance. it's a shockingly coherent narrative between the three of them. then, to also give neil some powers that aren't contingent on his fucked up geneology and rather on his own merit and abilities, Black Canary and her sonic voice parallel the way that neil began to anchor his identity and take ownership over himself through his voice and his sick roasts

and 1 extra, wymack: batman, on account of his altruism, his dedication to second chances, and his many, many adopted children

---

anon, ik it's been a sec since you sent this, so i hope it gets back to you. i had a fun time with it and it prompted like,,, 7 different au s that i'll never write

[c4llm3h4ru]

The Restore of our Rotten Souls - Ch. 4 - I’m Magne’s kid

My name is Milli, 15 years old, quirk: Ventriloquism, my villain relative, Keiji Hikiishi, AKA Magne. And no, SHE is NOT my mother, but my aunt (I usually call her Tia, since a part of my family is latino), still she was the closest relative to my disowned ass. Thankfully UA still kept me after my parents told me: you're not Hikiishi anymore. Just because I CRIED due to Magne's death.

After that day, I promissed myself to be the best hero I could be, for her, since her ghost watches over me (some people says she haunts me, but I feel better with her around). But like any older sister, she still cares about the league, and I'm the only one who seems to care about her. So I swore that I'd save all of them.

But now... things are out of control...

A giant villain appeared kinda out of thin air and was with everyone Auntie Mag loves on his back. It was taking a lot of us to take him down... AND we failed... no surprise, not until Oumei started to tremble, pant and tear down:

 - Uh... San?

 - Puppeteer...

By her tone, I knew that something was wrong:

- I think... I need to go up there.

 - WHAT?! San, is there anything wrong?!

 - Oh yeah. Really, really wrong. He's coming, along with a near dead friend on his arms. We lost someone else today, along with your aunt.

"Another one?!" I was paralized, "who's coming?! Which one of us... or them... died this time?!"

 - YOU CAN'T GO THERE SENPAI! It's too dangerous!

Yaoyorozu, the class 1A vice-president suddenly shouted at us, trying to warn, but Oumei knows, as the top and the president of our class, our league's vice leader, and the one with special trainament, she also knows what she is doing:

 - I know, Creativi. But I bear some bad news for someone up there.

 - B-but... then at least, let me go with you!

 - Sorry, dear, but I need you down here, if he's still breathing, you're the one who's the best with first aids.

 - Huh?

But before she could get any explaining, Oumei was already flying to face whoever would recieve the bad news. Yaoyorozu was worried:

 - Puppeteer... who is coming?

 - Uh... I don't k-

At that moment, I was looking around, and I saw something moving in the woods:

 - Wait...

 - Wh-

 - Shh...

I slowly walked near the trees and tried to focus more:

 - Hello? Anyone there?

A long second of silence before I heard a snap close to where I was. At that moment, Auntie's ghost pointed from where she the sound was coming from.

At the pointed place, I saw a silhouete of a man with black suit and blonde messy hair carrying someone on his arms, who was looking really beaten up. I knew who they were:

 - HEY! OVER HERE!

 - Wha- Puppeteer! Are you crazy?!

 - IT'S ME, BUBAIGAWARA, MILLI! MAGNE'S NEPHEW!

 - Ok! He's gone nuts.

I could hear whet they were talking about me, but why in the world Twice isn't with the other... "Oh jeez..." that meant something was REALLY wrong.

I fell down on my knees, that alarmed my other classmates, Elijah Mio (The blind hero: Third Eye) and Nekoshi Hyotora (The night hero: Night Panther). They came to my side quickly:

 - Puppeteer?

Nekoshi started:

 - Why are you... (snif, snif) I smell... blood and... (snif snif) burned flesh... Hyuko!

 - What?! Night, are you sure?

 - I fear so, Inner Eyes.

 - What are we waiting for?

And as quick as the blink of an eye, Nekoshi transformed into a panther and they went after the two. But I was still in shock. Yaoyorozu touched my shoulder:

 - Puppeteer... who's hurt?

 - ... Hyuko... he went after Twice due to some personal reason that I don't know...

 - Milli...

 - I feel like... he made a self-sacrifice for Twice... I can't sense why and-

And shortly after Elijah and Nekoshi left, they came back. Bubaigawara and Hyuko were with them at the back travel. I slowly walked near him and:

 - Where is my Oumei? Where is Himiko?

He was crying, and holding Hyuko like a lifeline. It was clear that he wasn't able to say many words. As I was approaching him, his tears were overflowing even more, I knew why:

 - Thanks for bringing him here, Jin.

 - I-I... I'm... I didn't mean, I-

 - Don't worry, I'll take care of him from now, Okay?

 - That's not what I... I mean, this too, but... your aunt... it was my-

 - About that, have you ever heard of the spirit guides? They sat it's been more frequent supernatural events since the 3rd generation of quirks.

 - What...?

 - Actually, there is something I need to tell you later, now, Hyuko needs help.

 - Uh... okay!

But at the moment we were going to start the first aids, my radio was recieving a message:

 - Hello?! Hello?! Anyone on the line?!

 - Keep going, I REALLY need to answer! Hello?! Ushio?! Is that you? What's wrong?!

 - Puppeteer, did the giant crazy villain showed up?!

 - Yes, the heroes couldn't stop it yet, and-

 -  Listen! If there is ANYONE on their back, you must take them of immediately!

 - Wha-

 - YOU HAVE LESS THAN ONE MINUTE! MOTHER'S ON THE WAY! THINGS WON'T END UP PRETTY IF THERE IS SOMEONE ON HIS BACK! LONG STORY, NO TIME, JUST DO WHAT I ASK!

 - Okay! I'm on it!

As I was looking for a way to get everyone that was up there, Elijah said:

 - 5 people, I'll guide the threads.

I just need to attach one thread to be able to take someone's free will to move, and I can pull them like a ragdoll with a rope attached to their neck. I climbed a tree and deatached the strings from my fingers and threw them on the back of the giant creature:

 - NOW! Did I caught one?

 - The one of the mask! You got the spine right away.

This power that Elijah have does allow him to see silhouettes of people and their clothes, he describes as seing points in the middle of nowhere, since his actual eyes are blinded.

 - Go up and you'll get two more, and... San already got Toga for you!

 - GOT IT!

 - THERE! NOW PUSH! THE MOTHER IS COMING IN 5 SECONDS!

With the last drops of my arm's strenght, I pulled them, and to make sure I'd get everyone together, I tangled the strings in the air, and the moment in middle air, a giant dragon appeared and threw itself on the giant villain with all their strenght. The ground even shook with the impact:

 - MACHIA!!!!!!!

 - WHAT?!

The villains' faces were the best faces of "WTF, WE WERE JUST THERE!", but  I needed to get them down.

Since I didn't have any strenght left, to slow the fall, I hung the stings on a tree and slowly took thre strings off. Twice watched everything, and was really relieved. But when they saw him, the reaction was priceless:

 - TWICE?!

 - But you died! In front of me!

 - This must be a trick! It can't be real!

But Jin himself went to Himiko first  begging for forgiveness. It was clear she didn't know everything, until Oumei said:

 - At what moment I said that I was talking about my dad, Himiko?

Oumei's flashback

I pretty much had a tormented flight, but I got a clear spot to fall:

 - Himiko. Toga. You better explain yourself now!

 - What?! No! I don't have snything to explain to you!

 - Oh yeah?! Guess what?! I have some news to you!

I went close and pulled her by her sweater:

 - HE'S DEAD!! WHY DIDN'T YOU LOVE HIM ANYMORE?! IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT HE IS DEAD NOW!!

 - WHAT?! You think I'M the one who killed Jin?! COME ON! IT WAS THAT BIRD'S FAULT!!! HAWKS KILLED YOUR FATHER!!!

At that moment, Milli's threads appeared and were attaching to each one of the villains. Something was wrong, I could feel it. Then I ran and got two strings, to me and Himiko, and suddenly we were flying.

Back to Milli's POV

The scene was devastating, Twice was crying on Himiko's feet, unable to look her in the eye, repeating what Hyuko asked him to tell her:

 - ...and then, Hyuko, he asked me to bring his body back! I couldn't leave him! Not there!

He was already proclaimed dead when we were doing the first aids. But I wasn't crying yet. I was trying to think what should I do.

Suddenly I saw a baby blue light, I knew that baby blue light, Auntie Mag:

 - What are you doing here, Tia?

But then I saw the others, their faces, she was visible to everyone, as she was talking to Hyuko's body:

 - You still has a lot to live, young boy, but still, you did something amazing, not even holding a trace of grudge, but I guess, if it's your end, you need to prepare your sister for it.

The other members of the League were in shock, is not everyday you see a ghost, specially from a friend. When she saw everyone safe, she turned to me and smiled:

 - You did it! YOU DID IT!

She tugged and hugged me, but it wasn't cold, her ghost was wasm as if she was alive, this was scarying me, I felt like she was saying goodbye:

 - T-Tia? W-why do they see you? Why are you so warm?

 - My boy, it doesn't matter, thank you! Thank you for saving them!

 - W- well... that's my job... saving people...

 - Even the villains?

 - THEY ARE STILL PEOPLE! Like the two of us! I'm a boy in a girl's body, and you were a woman in a man's body, but we're still people!

 - Yeah, we are... Milli, could you promise me something?

 - I'm listening...

 - Take care of them for me? They're my family and-

 - No need to say anything more. I will. No matter what will happen, I'll do my best.

 - Heh... you're really like me.

Then she pulled back a bit, and kissed my forehead:

 - Take care, my boy...

And then she started to fade, and somehow I knew, she finally found her peace. But this made me so desperate, I started to cry:

 - T-Tia? I-I don't know if-

 - I know you can, and your friends will help y...

And then she were gone. I was a train wreck at that moment. But then a question, coming from the lizard man, Spinner:

 - Who the hell are you? And why could you talk and understand what that ghost? She was our friend!

I recomposed myself a bit, and with the strongest face I could manage, I answered:

 - I'm Magne's kid.

[mrcatlion]

vld s5 spoilery thoughts

hey, so, I know that I dont usually post stuff like this on here(or anywhere else), but some of it is future fan comic ideas that I want to test, and I need to vent.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on when is an ok time to post fanart based on s5? I’m thinking of putting a spoiler warning on top of some works, but I’d still like to know everyones thoughts before I post anything.

but yeah, spoilers under the cut

So, I’m just going to preface this that I still feel an intense emotional reaction to thinking about Sephiroth’s downfall in Final Fantasy VII. Like, I made an AU where Cloud or Zack just give a little bit of emotional support to Sephiroth during his time in the library and because of that, he has a better time dealing with learning about all the bullshit surrounding his linage. And after seeing The Last Jedi and Black Panther, there was this hole in my heart for a good, interesting villain redemption that I was craving.

And its because of this that I dont know if Lotor’s arc in this season was actually good, or if I just really needed him not to be Sephiroth.

THEY LITERALLY HAD A SCENE WITH OUR LONG WHITE HAIRED BOY LOOKING THROUGH AN INFORMATION ARCHIVE THAT HAD LIFE CHANGING INFO ON HIS MOM and they didnt pull a sephiroth

Im still ready for anything to happen to everyone at this point, but I just really like that they could have gone down making him a backstabbing fuckboy. Like when Allura got the Altaen Alchemy magical chosen whatever, Lotor’s response to his own shortcomings was not a tantrum, or even an envious grimace, but instead he was really supportive of her. Like, he was happy for her? and genuine??!?!? And he felt comfortable enough to tell her about some really intense abuse from his racist dictator dad???? AND SHE WAS SUPPORTIVE BACK!?!?!?

I just didnt know I really needed Allura and Lotor being supportive friends. He could backstab her the first episode of season 6 and I’d still be like “at least I got to enjoy it for a few months”

Going backwards tho, It was kind of weird that Haggar/Shiro/Kuro had to sneak Lotor a weapon during the hostage exchange. It was a great fight scene, but I feel like they could have at least given him a communicator to talk to them in case something went wrong? The one solid thing in season 5 is that Galra culture has evolved to include a lot of backstabbing and power play, and its kind of a miracle that they had the real Sam Holt on the ship at all. I was not convinced that Sam was not another hologram until Pidge touched him. That episode had a lot of weird moments(Matt’s hair loop skips in one scene and I died). I also feel like if they gave a little more time at the end to let Zarkon’s death sink in a little bit too. Even just a moment for someone to walk up to him and be like “yeah he’s dead. Kill confirmed” would have helped.

Also I cant stop thinking about how bored Lotor would get in that cell, but the minute he hears Shiro and Allura coming, he’d jump back to his feet like “ive totally just been standing here the whole time”

I also doodled a comic where Allura hugs Lotor and afterwards Lotor attempts to hug everyone else. I dont even care if its in character or not, I’m making it an no one can stop me. I just really need to make it.

I’m really hoping for Lotor to just be able to be a nice leader with Voltron as political and emotional support. The galra get to start working on getting that colonizing out of their system, Lotor gets an actual family. He’s probably going to be usurped next season, but I’m still content imagining that his reaction to the Garrison trio’s antics as a light scolding followed by “invite me next time”

I dont know why, but I find it funny that, the one thing Sam Holt did was suggest hacking the tree virus, and then leaves.

Also, Sam Holt is the best space dad. Coran is best space uncle, but Sam is best Space dad, no contest.

ALSO I CANT GET OVER CORAN’S RANDOM PARASITE GAG WHAT WAS THAT JOKE WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT

I realized watching the Galra fighting each other, and going back to the tree planet, and just the succession of power in the Galra while the blades set up to destroy the Galra elite, Voltron scratches that need for interesting alien species and cultures and variety that I always craved watching Ben 10 as a kid. I wish vld existed when I was a 13 year old so I could get into it when I had time and energy.

Pidge and Hunk were good. Pidge was the best achieving her dreams. Hunk could have done more, but at least he had some good lines and might have joined the ‘lowkey concerned for shiro’ club with Lance and Allura.

Speaking of Lance, I’m kind of unsure how I feel about him? I was really into his arc with self doubt and identity as the team sharp shooter and being a great second in command, and the sword thing kinda felt like a weird side step on all that buildup. On one hand he had genuinely good interactions with Allura, but still devolved into unwarranted jealousy at times? w/e. At least he ended on a good note, but I feel like all the stuff that I was getting into with his character isnt there anymore? idk

Actually, rereading this over, I’m hoping that that ending note with Lance and Shiro kinda hinted that Lance is still a really good second in command, and he can be support for both Keith and Shiro as leaders.

Keith was there. Im kind of disappointed that no one talked about Keiths actions at the end of the last season, but oh well. Kolivan had to have known who he was sending Keith to, right? I cant tell if this is going to be some Marmora loyalty test, if Kolivan was knowingly orchestrating that family reunion, or if he just didnt know. I’m also hoping to see if they touch on how the more Keith learns about his bio family, the more he seems to be drifting away from his adoptive brother...

Also tho, I have no idea what Haggar’s actual motives are, but this season had a lot of cool stuff for her? Like, I think they’re implying that Haggar genuinely wants the best for Lotor, but knows that if he takes the thrown, the weight of Galra empire will destroy him. But she also hasnt told Lotor who she really is for some reason, and I’m still scared that that knowledge could also mess with him, because it sounds like Haggar has also done some traumatic stuff to Lotor despite/because the struggle just to get her zombie baby. It seems like she’s trying to look out for him with project kuron? IDK??? I love Haggar so much but I’m also so scared at what she could do to everyone???? I’m still full force ready for Kuron to be confirmed tho.

Actually, I think that by the end, there were some other fancomic ideas that I have in production that are still technically in character? So as long as I can get them done by July, I should be good!(of course one of them was the Halloween fancomic...)

So yeah, all in all, s5 had a lot of things that I really needed emotionally, however I am  prepared for dreamworks to rip my heart out and smash it into the ground.

[bluehairedlordwrites]

What Comes Next

Series: None

Prompt: After suffering a deadly car crash, Matthew finds himself somewhere he can’t explain.

Rating: SFW, PG-13 (violence, death, existentialism, life after death)

Notes: This one is a bit more personal. I wrote this a few months ago on a whim after a sudden rush of inspiration, and this is what came of it. I thought it might be worth sharing. Give it a read mayhaps? I won’t do too many like these (unless you enjoy it) so let me know what you think!

Also no, my name is not Matthew. It’s Kyle. Cheers!

Have you ever been in a situation, or in an environment, that you just couldn’t describe? That’s where I was. I wasn’t hot. I wasn’t cold. It wasn’t bright. It wasn’t dark. I could see, so I guess it couldn’t have been dark. But that didn’t make it bright, did it? I don’t know.

“Hello Matthew.” A voice spoke, breaking the chilling silence. I looked ahead, and there was someone in front of me. I couldn’t make out who it was. Or even what it was. I knew they had a face, so I thought they must be human. But they had no defining features. They weren’t man or woman, white, black, or anything in between. If anyone had answers, it was them. But what would I even ask first? I guess I’d start with the easiest one.

“Who are you?” I asked.

The figure chuckled, as if it was an odd question to ask.

“Who am I? Names are no longer relevant dear child. If you must label me... I am... Me.”

Me smiled back at me, as if they provided an actual answer to my question. All it did was confuse me more.

“Okay...” I digressed. “Well, where are we?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.” Me answered cryptically. “Tell me, what is the last thing you remember before coming here?”

I paused for a moment, having to think that over. All these memories came rushing to my brain, but they felt so distant and long ago. Why do they still feel like the last memory I had?

“I...” I tried to gather my thoughts to convey into words. “I was at my girlfriends house. We got in a fight. I remember having a lot to drink, and I... I remember driving away, but... I don’t remember getting home. Why can’t I...”

A sudden realization struck me.

“W-wait, where... am I... am I really..?”

Me smiled, or at least I think they did. It certainly felt like it.

“Yes.” They replied. “On April 2nd, 2019, at approximately 9:52 PM Pacific Standard Time, you crashed your truck into a tree located about 3 miles from your targeted destination.”

I froze. Words failed to escape my mouth. Feelings couldn’t even be comprehended. I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t laugh. I couldn’t feel anything. I didn’t even know if it was possible anymore. There was a burning question left on my mind.

“So... is this heaven then?”

“Heaven...” Me responded. “Heaven is a place where all of your dreams are your own reality, you are always in a state of pure euphoria, there is only one emotion; joy. Now tell me Matthew, do you feel joyous right now?”

I’m not even sure why they would ask that. After all the news they unloaded on me, how could I feel joyous? But if I wasn’t joyous, then...

“... No.” I responded. “So... does that mean I’m in hell?”

After my recent behavior, I guess I’d deserve nothing more.

“Hell...” Me answered. “Hell is a place where all of your nightmares are your own reality, you are always in a state of unending pain, there is only one emotion left; fear. Tell me Matthew, are you afraid right now?”

The question felt so obvious. Of course I would be afraid after hearing what he just said.

But for some reason, I didn’t feel that way. My brain was telling me I SHOULD feel that way, but I just couldn’t comprehend the feeling anymore. I couldn’t comprehend anything anymore.

“I...” I slowly answered. “... No... No I’m not.”

Me chuckled back at me. Out of thin air, they pulled a piece of paper and a pen.

“Now Matthew.” They instructed. “I want you to take this paper and pen. And I want you to write down all of your regrets. Even the most minuscule of regrets, all of the ones you can think of.”

They lay the page in front of me. It was at that moment that I realized I was sitting in a chair at a desk the entire time. Or maybe I wasn’t. I wasn’t paying attention to that I guess.

Now I stared at the blank sheet. All of my regrets... I guess I should start with the obvious one. I regret driving in the intoxicated state I was in. I regret getting in that stupid fight in the first place. I couldn’t even remember what it was about anymore. She was mad at me over something, but I know she was only mad because she loved me. I guess I regret not realizing that sooner.

I regret not seeing my mom and dad as much as I should have. They did so much for me growing up. We didn’t always live in the best circumstances, but they always gave everything they could to keep me happy. Really they worked harder than I ever gave them credit for. I can’t even remember the last conversation I had with them. I think my mom told me to remember to get a congratulations card for my Aunt Lauras wedding. I didn’t respond. I didn’t get a card for her either. I hope they don’t postpone the wedding to have my funeral. I don’t think I really deserve it. I think the last thing I said to my dad was something about the Mariners game. We were supposed to go to the upcoming one together. I guess that ship has sailed now.

I regret not making it to my brothers birthday party. He’s a bit younger than me, and I really can’t stand any of his friends. But I got along with him just fine. He deserved to at least have me there. But I skipped it to stay home, get drunk, and watch a movie alone. I think I told him I had to work overtime. I wonder if he knew it was a lie too.

I started to list smaller things. I regret never trying Baskin Robins. I was always a Cold Stone guy, but my girlfriend always wanted to try Baskin again. We never went. I regret never seeing Black Panther. Everyone said it was good, I just never was really interested in it. I regret not going on that road trip with my best friends. I had to work the days they left. I should have known they took priority over my job. I was too scared of getting fired. My boss and I were already on bad terms as is. On that note, I regret not working harder at work. I could have run that place had I put more effort into it. But all I wanted to do was get by off of the bare minimum. Why did I do that anyway? Why was I so lazy about doing things I felt I could love? That’s probably why my band never took off. I regret never spending enough time writing music. I had a talent for it, or at least everyone else thought so. But now it’s wasted.

I regret never getting a dog. My parents always told me it was too much responsibility, but I still always wanted one. I would have been a great owner. If I made the time I could have been at least. Did I even have the time? Probably. Maybe I wasn’t willing enough to put more time in. Or maybe that’s just what my parents believed. I wanted a golden retriever puppy named Sparky. I was gonna teach it how to fetch, how to roll over, how to sit on command... I never even got the chance for that.

I regret not making it to marriage. We had talked around it but I could never work up the courage to ask her. We had been together for a good 5 years then, I knew she was waiting for me to ask. I regret never being able to become a husband. Never being able to become a father. She always wanted kids, but I was never so sure. Now it’s all I can think about. Ironic, I know. Now all I can think about is watching my kid take their first steps, fall down, get back up, go to school, fall in love, make mistakes, learn from them through my guidance, graduate, live their lives... but because of my stupidity tonight, now they’ll never have that chance. Now I’LL never have that chance.

I regret skipping my grandfathers funeral. I was so broken at the time, I didn’t know how to cope with it. I just didn’t want to be seen in that state. I figured if my family saw me crying, they’d try to help me. But I didn’t want help. I just wanted my grandfather back.

I don’t know how long I was writing. Time didn’t seem to have any meaning anymore. Anytime I ran out of space, Me would hand me another sheet to write on. I kept going on like that about every mundane thing I could think of. My hand never cramped, not sure if it even could though.

Finally, I finished everything I could think of, even dating back to sitting by and befriending the kid in first grade who would end up bullying me later on in life. When I was finished, I handed all the pages to Me. Me took them, and began to look them all over. I watched back, slightly embarrassed by some of the things they may be reading.

“Mm.. yes... I see.” Me commentated. “Very interesting.”

Without another word, me ripped the entire stack in half, and threw it in a waste bin next to us.

“H-HEY!” I yelled, lunging for the trash bin. But when I looked inside, it was empty. I looked back up at them, who just stared back. I sat back in my chair.

“You’re here now. There is no place for regret. You made the decisions you made, and now there is no turning back.”

“Wouldn’t that be a perfect reason to be regretful?” I asked.

“No. Had you truly regretted them, you would have done then sooner, right?”

“Well I didn’t-“

“Think you’d be here so soon?” Me interrupted. “Let me guess, ‘there’s always next time?’”

I didn’t want to admit, but I found myself saying that very often.

“All these things you wrote down, you don’t truly regret them. You only do now that you can’t go back and right your wrongs. You were complacent in making the same choice every second of everyday. I’m sure your girlfriend never pressured you about marriage because there was always tomorrow. Now you’re gone, out of her life forever. And she never got the chance to have her dream family with you.”

I was speechless. Everything Me said was true, and it burned to even think of admitting it. Normally I would have swung a fist at them, but I didn’t think it would matter here.

“But she gets a second chance.” Me continues. “She will learn from these regrets, and she will find someone new to share a family with. Had this happened to you, you would have been broken forever, never trying to find someone new, even if that was the dream you had.”

“Well I never got the chance now did I?” I challenged.

“Yes. You did. Every day you didn’t propose, every day you didn’t go buy a dog, every day you didn’t get your aunt a card, you were making the conscious decision to avoid your responsibilities, even when you knew they would make you happy. Why did you do this? Because you knew you always had tomorrow. Well, now you’re here. You wasted all those tomorrows, and that was your decision alone.”

Everything I said, Me would challenge me and shut me down. It was even worse that they were right about everything.

“So now what?” I asked.

“Now you can only hope that everyone else learns from your mistakes, and lives their lives when they have it.”

“So what, I’m just the catalyst for everyone else to learn from?”

“We all have a role to play in this world Matthew.” Me answered. “Perhaps this is yours to play.”

I sighed, slouching down in my chair.

Out of thin air, Me pulled a monitor and placed it on my desk.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“You clearly still hold onto these regrets.” Me replied. “This will show you the lives of everyone you touched, after you left their world. You can watch them perhaps remedy the mistakes you left behind. Maybe your brother will go to the baseball game with your father instead, and that will be a moment they cherish forever. Perhaps your girlfriend will remarry. This is where you can find out.”

I stared at the screen. I saw a series of moments from my friends and families lives. I saw police officers at my girlfriends house. She began weeping into one of their arms. I saw the same sight with my parents. My friends. My bandmates. My coworkers. They all responded in different ways. Even the people I didn’t think I mattered to responded with at the least a sad face. I couldn’t believe what I was watching.

I watched my funeral. So many people gathered around, talking about me, and how much they cherished me. I saw my own body in the casket. My dad talked about what a hard worker I was. He talked about how he cherished the moments we would go to the shooting range, or work on our trucks together, or watch whatever sports game that happened to be on. My mother praised me for being a goodhearted man who everyone got along with. My brother talked about how good I was at guitar, and how jealous he was that I was so gifted with music. He vowed to learn guitar in my stead. My girlfriend spoke in between weeps about how we were to get married, and how she feels bad for pressuring me about kids. She said she feels it was her fault I didn’t propose to her sooner. After that, she begins to cry, and my mother slowly guides her off stage.

“No...” I say, void of any emotion. I’m not sure what I’m even feeling anymore. “That’s not true. That’s not true! I-I was just stupid! Please, tell her it wasn’t her fault!”

“It’s too late for that.” Me responds. I kind of expected that response anyway.

“Will she ever have kids after this? I-I don’t want to be the reason she...” My words trail off, feeling too weak to finish them.

Me gestures to the screen.

“Would you like to find out?” They say mysteriously. I gaze back at the screen. “When you feel you’re finished, take my hand. And I will take you to where you are meant to be.”

I stared at the screen, watching the end of my funeral, seeing people get in their cars and drive away. Do I want to see all of this transpire? Would it be right? I don’t even feel like I deserve these people.

Looking at the screen, I see my best friend put his arm around my girlfriend, who leans into him. They walk to his car, and he opens the passenger seat for her to climb in. He walks over to the drivers seat, gets in, and begins to drive off.

It was clear after that moment; they’d be better off without me. It would be too painful to watch all of this go on without me. Besides... maybe this way, she’ll be happier. She’ll be happier... without me.

“No...” I respond. “I... I think I’ve seen enough.”

Me stretches their hand out. “Are you sure? You cannot come back here after you’ve decided.”

“Yeah.” I stand my ground. “Besides-“ I reach out and grab Me’s hand “- I saw everything I needed to see from that. They’ll be okay.”

Me responded with a smile. They lifted me off my chair, and suddenly we were gently lifting away. I watched the desk get smaller and smaller by the second. I looked back at me... Me... me... it was me. After that sight, all I can remember is feeling warm.

END

[umbreeonic]

Voltron Jungle Book AU

- Keith (who's essentially bagheera) finds a crying human child in a basket and is like 🔪🔪🔪 but w claws - but then he's like "fuck. That's kinda a cute baby. But I'm a fucking panther what am I gonna do" - then he remembers his best friend shiro n his mate rolo just had a litter of pups (yes shiro is trans) and he's like "oh yea shiro n rolo could raise this mancub bc they're both pack animals!" - so he takes the mancub (guess who she is oaydqpuf) and Shiro's wolf father insiticts r just Must Protect and Keith's like "I fucking knew it" - rolo shows up and Keith's nervous but Shiro's like "ROLO LOOK MY PANTHER BROTHER BROUGHT US ANOTHER CUB" and rolos tail is like a helicopter blade ("LET ME SEE HER LET ME SEE HER") - and Keith's like "yeh I did good. I knew my wolf brother would come through" - so pidge grows up w her wolf family in the jungle happy as can be - until the man-hating tiger lotor is rumored to be back in the jungle - shiro and rolo don't want to, but for the safety of both pidge and their pack they ask Keith to lead her to the local man cub village - Keith agrees, and as he's really bad w kids he's broody and snappy w pidge, so she sneaks off as soon as she can - but she gets caught by lotors accomplice, the python haggar - she hypnotizes pidge and almost eats her, until Keith shows up bc he'd been tracking pidge - Keith starts yelling at pidge for being so reckless (lol) and she gets even more mad at him and sneaks off again - this time she runs into a big bear, and as soon as he sees her he's like "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOUR PARENTS" - and pidge is like "they sent me away... for my own safety. And now I'm stuck with this stick in the mud panther" - and hunk (bc yes, its hunk) is like "oh that guy, he's really a big softie" - then this river dolphin (guess who) pokes his head above water and is like "don't listen to hunk! Hunk loves everybody, Keith's a big broody cat who has no idea what fun is" - pidge is simultaneously "what the fuck is that river smooth thing" and "I have found a kindred spirit" - so pidge spends some time with hunk the anxious bear and lance the energetic dolphin bc hey these guys are at least more fun than Keith - a few hours later Keith finally tracks her down, but she's swimming and playing in the river with hunk and lance - he's terrified of water so he yells at her to come out, but she refuses - so keith prepares himself, and finally is able to jump in the river after her - except he starts panicking, and once they all realize Keith's in trouble hunk swims over as fast as he can and pulls him out of the river - hunk is hovering over Keith, going "are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need anything?" and Keith is just "not now gay thoughts" - (yes this is a heith au what did u expect when I made keith bagheera and hunk baloo???) - lance carries pidge over to the river, and she's crying, bc while Keith is a pain in the ass he's essentially her uncle and her guardian at this point - they spend the night by the river, all sleeping together (with lance as close as he can be) and pidge is cuddled in between Keith and hunk - in the morning, hunk announces that he and lance are accompanying Keith in his task to take pidge to the man village - Keith starts spluttering and trying to find an excuse but pidge is just like "oh sweet we were following the river anyways!" - so they start their trip down the river, all talking and laughing, bonding as buds do - hunk and Keith feel a bit more than bonding though ;3 - after about a day these random monkeys swipe pidge off the ground in a matter of seconds, leaving her three new brothers like "what the fuck just happened" - a big chase ensues, with hunk running on the ground to try and keep them in sight and keith pouncing through the trees to try and catch them - the monkeys are too fast, and eventually leave the two in the dust - pidge gets taken to a large ruin, and is dropped in front of their king, lubos - lubos' adviser, ryner, is like "lubos this is a kid she's not gonna be able to do it" - lubos goes "NONSENSE! She will make me FIRE!" - pidge is like??? I grew up w wolves dude. What tf is fire - lubos thinks she's bluffing, and has this whole speech about the wonders of man, focusing mainly on fire and the power it grants - meanwhile, hunk sneaks in wearing a disguise to try and rescue pidge - it was lances idea. Hunk wants to believe in his best friend, but his big brain tells him he will be caught immediately - to his surprise, he's not, until he's by pidge and trying to sneak her off, and lubos notices - however. Lubos thinks hunk is one of his subjects who is trying to steal "his fire" - hunk and pidge are surrounded, so hunk rips off his disguise and tries to go for the Scary Bear bit - it works for a bit, but soon the monkeys realize he won't hurt them and they become more confident - then Keith shows up and holds his claws to the kings throat - the monkeys let them all leave after that - they meet back with lance at the river, and they continue to the village - but on the way, they run into lotor - he threatens them, telling hunk Keith and lance that he'll spare them if they give him the man cub - all of them refuse, and hunk and Keith manage to get lotor to leave them alone, but not before lotor promises to be back - pidge is visibly shaken, and rides on hunks back for the next few hours - they go a couple days without anything uneventful, taking a short break to watch some elephants - they come across a large field, and being tired, an agreement is made to meet up with lance at the river in the morning while the others sleep in the field - halfway through the night, pidge wakes up, both because of the sudden rain and a noise she heard - she wakes up keith and hunk, scared - both are suddenly alert, trying to listen and smell for any danger, but the rain makes it hard - suddenly, lotor jumps from the grass and tries to attack pidge, but hunk jumps in front of her and guards her while keith lunges at lotor to fight - hunk continues to hide pidge, not giving lotor a chance to swipe at her while also keeping her from watching the fight - there's a sudden bolt of lightning that strikes the grass near Keith and lotor, and even with the rain it starts up a large fire - hunk picks pidge up and runs, yelling at Keith to follow - lotor, the coward that he is, runs away immediately, but his back paw hits Keith in the head as he turns around - it hits hard enough that, with all his wounds and exhaustion from the battle, he blacks out - after a minute hunk realizes Keith hasn't followed them, so he puts pidge down and tells her to stay put while he goes to find Keith - pidge, being pidge, does not listen and instead runs after hunk - hunk finds Keith passed out, the fire starting to get extremely close to him - hunk lifts him onto his back, turning around to run, and he's so worried that he doesn't reprimand pidge when he sees her - once he decides they're far enough away, he sets keith down and tries to wake him up - he can't tell if Keith is even alive, and if he could cry he knows he would be, because he hadn't even realized how much Keith meant to him until he could be dead - pidge, who can cry, is staring in silent shock as the rain mixes with the tears falling down her face - once it's been long enough that hunk has given up hope, Keith groans and opens his eyes a bit - pidge runs up and hugs him, trying to be gentle, but failing bc she was so scared - hunk let's pidge have her time, then nuzzles Keith when she lets go - Keith is confused. Happy, but confused, then concerned bc did he get amnesia and forgot hunk becoming his boyfriend? - hunk starts laughing, as Keith unknowingly said that out loud, and goes "you didn't miss anything, but... I wouldn't mind that." - if panthers could blush, Keith would have been blushing - Keith's still too weak to walk, so hunk lifts him onto his back again, and they walk back to meet lance - Lance is, understandably, confused at Keith's state, and pidge explains to him as hunk brings keith some food - after a few hours, Keith can walk, so they continue to the village - they finally reach the village, and pidge realizes she doesn't want to leave the jungle - none of the others want her to leave either, but they all know and tell her that she needs to be with other humans - she hugs them all goodbye, then slowly makes her way to the entrance - on the way, she sees a girl gathering water, and is like "woah she's pretty" - (pidge is a useless lesbian who falls for the first human she sees ypfaupafpuafupaf) - she is accepted into the village, and after she says "I'm a girl" literally everyone in the village is like "cool! Here's some dresses" - (if u thought pidge was cis in this au??? ur wrong. when would i ever make pidge cis) - she never does lose her love for animals or the jungle, and routinely goes out to visit her brothers and, occasionally, her dads - eventually she starts bringing her girlfriend, and while she can't understand the animals she can see how much pidge loves them - and they all live happily ever after bc lotor fell off a cliff while running away and died! the end