#hank the raccoon

[miasmaghoul]

do you think the ghouls would be allowed to have pets

I think, for the most part, animals flee from the ghouls. They're predators, and most anything with the sense to run from them absolutely will.

There are a few exceptions, though.

@forlorn-crows and I both headcanon that Mountain has a "pet" raccoon called Hank. He lives in the forest but hangs out in the greenhouse from time to time and steals any crunchy snacks he can get his paws on. This includes raiding Mountain's vegetable garden - he's a fiend for sugar snap peas. Hank also has a girlfriend, a sleek white cat named Juniper. She also lives in the forest, and Mountain isn't sure how but she's always perfectly clean. There's definitely something a bit unnatural about her, but Mountain isn't worried about it.

Rain has an albino hognose snake he inherited from Mist, a gift to her from Secondo that she couldn't bear the thought of leaving to anyone else when she chose to return to the Pit. Her name is Bucatini and Rain adores her. He'll frequently have her draped around his neck or let her twist herself around his horns. Otherwise she lives in a very elaborate tank in his room, happy as a clam.

Dew isn't really one for animals, doesn't like them any more than they like him, with the exception of one itty bitty black kitten that seems to haunt the crypts of the former Papas. He hasn't given it a name, but every time he goes down to pay his respects it's right there waiting for him. It never seems to grow, just a little handful of fluff, but it will appear and sit right between his boots while he prays. He's asked around once or twice, but near as he can tell no one else has ever come across that little black furball with the greenest eyes he's ever seen. It isn't a pet, but it's the closest thing he's gonna get.

That's all I've got for my personal lore!

[forlorn-crows]

𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚 5: 𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒔

words: 911 pairing(s): mountain + hank the raccoon/juniper the cat catch up on the hank lore [here] and [here] and [here]

✿

A thumbtack. An acorn. A loose ribbon. A big lilypad snatched from the lake. Pebbles, flowers, and petrified chips. Even a lost earring without its twin, the worn gold star glinting from where it’s buried in the pile of random trash and trinkets.

Mountain stares. The only reason he noticed it at all was because he had to scoot out the storage cabinet to get to the stone planters. He sets down the tower of pots he was shuffling from one end of the greenhouse to the other and wipes his hands on his apron. Curiosity reels him in; he squats down to inspect the squirreled-away pile of things at closer proximity. 

The little stash is actually quite unique. Hardly any duplicate objects besides the pebbles—even the dried blooms differ from each other. Mountain pokes around some of the objects with his finger, rummaging for the more buried items. A broken plastic bubble wand. A scrunchie. Part of a grucifix. A cork. Even a guitar pick. And . . . are those . . ?

“My glasses?!” Mountain frees them from the pile and stares at everything open-mouthed. He’s been looking for them for weeks; swore he left them in here, just on the bench, but when he had come back the next day they were gone. He had come to terms with having to get a new pair (though he quite liked these ones)—and yet, here they are.

There’s a rustling behind him, and when a round little body toddles up to him, the puzzle pieces click into place.

“Hank,” the earth ghoul accuses. He dangles the pair of readers in front of the raccoon’s twitching nose. “Why’d you steal my glasses, dude?”

Hank chitters and whips his fluffy tail back and forth, ears pinning back to his head. 

Mountain sighs and offers him a scritch under the chin. Too cute to stay mad. “I’ve been blindly potting flowers for many days, little one,” he scolds, albeit with a kinder tone. 

The animal squawks and pushes past Mountain’s legs to his trinket stash. He whines when he sees the state of it, all scattered about and disorganized.

“Well you can’t blame me for wanting to look,” the earth ghoul defends himself. “You’re not stealing from other people, are you?”

Hank screeches at the accusation.

“Sorry, sorry. Just me then, hm?” He gets screeched at again and bapped in the shin with Hank’s tail. 

Lucifer give him strength, he’s arguing with a raccoon. “Okay, let’s just say you found them, then.”

Hank is pleased with this answer. He chirps and begins to re-arrange his items. 

“Why do you have all this anyway? I mean, I’m a lover of a good trinket myself, but you aren’t exactly the collecting type of species . . . also I’m not sure that all of these things count as trinkets.”

The animal gives him the best side-eye a raccoon can muster.

“Hank, there’s a dead bumblebee in here.”

If a raccoon could roll its eyes and lift its chin indignantly, Hank would do that. Instead, he chitters what can only be a string of small mammalian passive aggressive statements. 

“There’s no need for such language.”

Hiss. Chirp chirp. 

Mountain rubs at the bridge of his nose. “I’m not saying you can’t—listen. Little one. My darling. Little. Creature.” He emphasizes each word with a sigh, chopping his pressed-together palms down as punctuation. Hank stops fussing with his objects and looks at the earth ghoul with those black little orbs. “Could we, perhaps, just find a better place for them? Put them somewhere I’m not going to accidentally crush them with an old armoire, yeah?” 

The animal screes happily, bouncing over to the earth ghoul and standing up with his little hands outstretched. Mountain snorts and picks him up, rising back up to his feet and flipping him over to rub his belly. 

“Why do you have to be so cute?” he asks, playfully pinching under Hank’s chin. The raccoon only kicks up a scratchy purr in response, swatting at Mountain’s wrists weakly. Mountain bounces him like a baby for a few moments before setting him down again, glancing around for something to use for his friend’s treasures. 

“Hm. I think there’s an old basket or . . . something around here,” he mumbles. He taps his hands on his apron as he scans the rows of tables and shelves. No . . . no . . . no. Suddenly, Mountain stops. Scrunches his face up and turns back towards Hank fully confused.

“Why are you hoarding things anyway?”

As if to answer his question, Juniper squeezes her way through the back door. Mountain had put a kitty door in it for her and Hank—though, Hank still prefers to force himself through the gap in the opposite corner of the green house where the windows have bowed out throughout the years. 

The white cat offers a mrrow in greeting, striding up to the both of them with an unbothered, graceful aire. Hank chitters excitedly and bounds over to his pile of trinkets, quickly selecting a mystery bauble between his thin little paws. He shoves it in his mouth and runs over to her side, chirping in greeting and dropping the object at her feet.

A close-to-fresh dandelion. Juniper mrrp’s at the gift and leans down to inspect it, the buttercup yellow petals tickling her nose. She seems pleased with the gift and rubs her cheek affectionately against Hank's with a purr. Two little unlikely lovebirds.

“Ah. Should have guessed that’s who those were for . . .”

𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 ✿

[somequeeralien]

B-day gift for my friend!

Self-insert is epic, sunshines ;3

[olliesmultimuse]

Movie Muses' Tag (New)

˖ ✧ in character » ( dynomutt )

˖ ✧ in character » ( dororthy gale )

˖ ✧ in character » ( lion )

˖ ✧ in character » ( wiser )

˖ ✧ in character » ( jamie bennet )

˖ ✧ in character » ( e. aster bunnymund )

˖ ✧ in character » ( angus scattergood )

˖ ✧ in character » ( bodi )

˖ ✧ in character » ( rocket raccoon )

˖ ✧ in character » ( clint barton )

˖ ✧ in character » ( kate bishop )

˖ ✧ in character » ( peter parker )

˖ ✧ in character » ( stephen strange )

˖ ✧ in character » ( alex the lion )

˖ ✧ in character » ( vitaly the tiger )

˖ ✧ in character » ( romulus 'classified' wolferson )

˖ ✧ in character » ( jumba jookiba )

˖ ✧ in character » ( gantu )

˖ ✧ in character » ( lilo pelekai )

˖ ✧ in character » ( mowgli )

˖ ✧ in character » ( iandore lightfoot )

˖ ✧ in character » ( colt bronco )

˖ ✧ in character » ( hiro hamada )

˖ ✧ in character » ( wasabi )

˖ ✧ in character » ( hank )

˖ ✧ in character » ( dory )

˖ ✧ in character » ( wolf w. wolf )

˖ ✧ in character » ( wilbur )

˖ ✧ in character » ( trapper )

˖ ✧ in character » ( adam harrison )

[the-insidious-dr-grey-matter]

[detroit39incorrectquotes]

Hank: I think it’s time I get my life in order.

Connor, narrating: But he did not get his life in order. In fact, he got drunk last night and fought a raccoon.

[kaptenorgazmo]

this scene ruins me every. single. time.

the way Hank immediately apologizes, even if its just him and manny alone in the woods hes so scared of what other people would think if they saw him like this, hes so scared of being seen as "wrong" or "different".

the way he stops when hes called beautiful, and then tries to calm himself down ("no why would- really?") like hes scared being happy about it. Like him being happy about being called beautiful/being dressed as a woman is something that is inherently wrong and impossible.

even the way he walks in all stiff and hunched over like he is hiding, but relaxes when manny accepts him with open arms.!!! FUCK!!!

i always read Hank as being transgender (or atleast gnc) and thats why hes so scared and ran away from society. hes so terrified of being seen as gross or just different in general that he tried to live in shame until he couldnt anymore.

I think his infatuation with Sarah isnt one of "i want her" i think its a "i want to BE her"

the montage scene, where for 90% of it he is dressed as Sarah, is probably the happiest we ever see her, just by being able to express herself like this (even if it is in the woods grilling raccoons in a dress made out of garbage).

[the-bus-called-graveyard-8]

Madagascar in Nickelodeon Magazine (part 4 of 4)

This last part is some miscellaneous Madagascar content that has appeared in various issues of Nick Mag. I used to keep all my Nick Magazines in big binders so I could reread them, but some years ago I decided to finally get rid of them. I only kept a select few (the Madagascar ones, of course) but before I tossed the rest I flipped through five years' worth of issues looking for any scraps of Madagascar. I don't know which issues any of these bits and bobs are from, but here they are nonetheless!

First we have a prank DVD cover for an absurd mashup of several 2000s animated movies called "Flushed Through the Hedge in a Happy Car". One of the characters parodied is Alex the lion, and several aspects of Madagascar appear in film's description. Full transcript under the read more.

Front cover:

"Flushed Through the Hedge in a Happy Car"

A penguin, a taxi, one wild ride...

Starring Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Wanda Sykes, and Luke Wilson

From the creators of "Charlotte's Open Barnyard"

Back cover:

A break-dancing New York City Penguin named Happy (Wanda Sykes) is accidentally shipped to a zoo in Mexico City. The homesick bird escapes and meets a hilariously sassy taxi named Turbo McCab (Will Smith), who offers to drive her home. Along the way, they get stuck in the woods during hunting season, freeze solid during an ice age, and visit an underground rodent city, where they pick up a tuxedo-wearing mouse named Wobbly (Tom Hanks). Just outside of New York City, Turbo gets a flat. A nerdy raccoon named AJ (Ellen DeGeneres) offers to take Happy over the hedge to find a spare.

Once in human territory, Happy becomes obsessed with Dancing in the Suburbs. Will Happy find happiness as a reality show star? Will her lion dance partner (Luke Wilson) ever learn his moves? Will Turbo ever get to race in the Madagascar 5000? Can penguins really talk? And who is paying for all of Turbo's parking tickets?

2-Disc DVD Collector's Edition

Bonus features include:

A step-by-step look at the 350-day process of creating convincing CGI fuzzy dice.

Deleted scenes that were cut because they stink real bad.

Voice talent farting into the microphone during recording.

Trailers for other penguin movies.

Director's commentary.

Director's dog's commentary

Rated P for Penguin

Digitally mastered for superior penguin cuteness

Next we have three ads I snipped out of different issues.

Top left: Madagascar video games

"Madagascar and the all new Madagascar: Operation Penguin

Go from the zoo to a place that's totally new

Rule the city and the jungle in two hit games based on the hit movie. In Madagascar, play as Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman in a wild adventure. Available on all video game consoles. In Madagascar: Operation Penguin, play as Private Penguin in madcap missions, available only on GameBoy Advance."

Bottom left: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa video game

"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

For PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, and DS

Play as all the main characters—including the penguins—through the story of the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa movie.

Tip: In the soccer match in the In Madagascar level in single-player mode, Mort the lemur can be a tough goalie. Raise the Power Meter to the 75 percent mark and you can kick the ball over Mort's head and score nearly every time.

Zelda the roving reporter: Do you have a license to drive that?"

Right: TPoM world premiere

"What's New on Nick

Penguins of Madagascar

The penguins are back, and this time, it's for their very own show! Catch the premiere immediately after the Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday, March 28. And check out the first-ever Penguins of Madagascar online game at nick.com."

Lastly, we have this crossover comic of the Penguins with Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. I don't have the cutout of this, but I distinctly remember seeing it in the Gag Station of one issue's Comic Book section. I was able to find it online but unfortunately I don't know the artist.

And that's every time Madagascar was featured in Nickelodeon Magazine!

[detroitbecomeonline]

Deviant Connor realising he can taste things, but due to his sensors and software settings, he likes the taste of blood and shit. Catch him at a barbeque with Hank and he picks up a raw steak and just starts licking it. Fair enough, gross, but okay. Connor then looking at anything red or horrible as a snack. He walks into the DPD, "Oh, is that evidence?" lick lick lick "CONNOR. Put the severed hand down!" Hank buys those little offcuts you can get from the butcher which is just waste but makes for good Sumo treats, but now he buys double because his fucking weird colleague puts a hoof on a skewer and licks it during a basketball game. Chris begs Connor to "try this" and hands him an ice cream. "Cold. Sweet. Sugary. Thank you." He hands back the ice cream and picks up a stick with bird shit on it. Markus gathers his friends around to hang out, giving out bottles of thirium and a bowl of questionable slop he found outside. It's mental stimulation, surely, to figure out all the little bits inside, right? Connor asks for a SPOON. Hank is driving past a farm and Connor eyes off the horse manure on sale in big bags for $2. "Don't." Tina gets a paper cut as she hands Gavin a file. Connor's on that shit like a weirdo. "You okay? Let me get that for you." He presses a tissue to her finger. "Wow, thanks Connor." Cue Connor becoming a raccoon in the break room "disposing" of the tissue, just RRRR HRRR FRHRHRREHRHR ripping it apart. He adjusts his tie.

[heraartaxis]

What if Episode 2

THERE ARE SO MANY EASTER EGGS! AND REFERENCES

Peggy and Howard being shook after seeing the winter soldier was crazy and then calling it rumour that it’s Bucky.

And Winter soldier talking felt a bit weird probably because he doesn’t, and mention of Steve! Howard talking with Bucky so that he doesn’t shoot Peter Quill was insane.

And then him saying that Cap is saving his ass ahaha

Hope and Peter getting to know each other was great too I honestly thought he might attack her.

The unlikely team up during the Cold War with the Russians ahaha

Hank, King T’Chaka, Wendy Lawson, Bill Foster and Thor

Th mention of teseract, Kree and Peter picking up the raccoon toy I mean love the details

Thor showing up? It was hilarious and Peter saying I’m Starlord that felt great and just blasted out Ego.

It felt good, avengers team up in the 80s

[shadowredfeline]

Vent

While I had an awful day, I was gonna workout to get exercise and be healthy, but my brother had to do this stupid test for an interview he has to do next week. And now I got upset and wanted to play Minecraft without Working out and decided we should have Pizza for dinner. 😢😔 And now my emotions got worse. Even if I might get better by tomorrow or Sunday.

And this is why I had to draw Shadow and Spot @murumokirby360 both stuck on crossroad intersections and both of them are now lost and can't figure out which way to go. Like they're both in Shadow's Ford Shelby GT, but then a random lady raccoon and a rabbit girl with a dog came by and asked where they were heading to, but they were both about to figure it out. They can go 83 South, or they can go to a road that can go to I-40 East. Or if they go right, they can go to Flagstaff or California, or they can go back and find nothing but all the way back to Canada. At least they both got it. Now this can be sad for both of them to know which way they can go. And I know it sounds like something from Cast Away and I wasn't a fan of that movie, despite having Tom Hanks in it and my mom is a huge fan of him. Maybe I'll watch a stream or play a calm video game or any show i like that can make me feel better as well as for going for a walk in a nice and cool and less hot temperature.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Well, Spot. I hope we can find which way we should go. Even what that random Raccoon girl and Rabbit girl said to us. Although now we're lost and we don't know what way we should go. Maybe we'll decide. 😞 And maybe we should hug together before we get back in the car and head to our destination.

People I tagged @bryan360 and @sammirthebear2k4

[forlorn-crows]

Mushy May Day 25: 'Adopting' a Stray Animal

Characters: Mountain, Cirrus, Dew, new animal friends

Words: 1073

behold, hank the raccoon lore!!

"Mountain,” Cirrus says warily. “That is a wild animal."

The earth ghoul remains unbothered. "He's my friend." 

"A friend with rabies, probably," Dew mutters, arms crossed protectively in front of his chest.

"Don't say that about Hank, that's rude."

"Hank?!"

"Can he not have a name?"

"It's not that he can't, it's–"

"Good," he doesn't wait for Cirrus to finish. "Because his name is Hank." 

The wild animal in question is a (rather fat) racoon currently bumbling about the greenhouse. Hank sits perched atop one of the worn benches munching on the remnants of a puffed cheese snack. Mountain reaches into the pocket of his work apron, producing another bright orange cheese ball and holding it palm-out for the raccoon to take. Hank chitters and plucks the snack from his hand, holding it between his paws as he munches.

"You just fed him a cheese ball," Dew deadpans, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

"They're his favorite," Mountain replies. He pops a ball into his own mouth, crunching noisily. 

The fire ghoul scoffs. “Did he tell you that?”

“You think because I’m an earth ghoul I can talk to animals?”

Cirrus looks between Hank and Mountain, seriously contemplating the idea. “I mean . . .” Hank finishes the cheese ball and wipes his paws on his cheeks, leaving little neon orange crumbs in his whiskers. He flicks his tail and peers up at Cirrus, little black eyes shining with curiosity. 

He can only be described as round, which is nothing out of the ordinary for a raccoon, of course. There isn’t anything particularly distinguishable about him—standard wide black and white banded face framed by white whiskers, little bits of brown above the nose, tiny sharp fangs pointing past black lips, wiry double coat and matching banded tail, too-tiny paws. Standard, that is, save for the scarred tear in his left ear. It cuts through the center, splitting his ear into two tufts. He paws at it now as if to scratch Cirrus’ and Dew’s gaze off of him. 

The scar piqued Mountain’s interest the first time Hank came toddling up to him, chirping with curiosity at the snack he was scarfing down after a long day of work in the greenhouse. The snack in question was of the cheesy variety, of course: a tiny bag of white cheddar popcorn. 

“I see you eyeing my snack, little one,” he had said, stopping to let the raccoon brush up against his bare ankles. The animal let out a quiet chitter, staring pointedly at Mountain’s hand. His eyes had shone with a glimmer of mischief, too cute to resist. The earth ghoul sighed amusedly and tossed a few pieces of popcorn down to him. 

“Just a few; I’m sure you know there’s more nutritious snacks out here for you.” He couldn’t blame him for desiring processed snacks, though, they were pretty delicious. The raccoon had taken them happily, cradling each kernel between his tiny paws and munching away with delight. 

“Enjoy the treat,” Mountain trilled, reaching down to give him a tentative pet between the ears before returning to the abbey. Some may call it a mistake, but ultimately it was the start of a budding friendship between ghoul and raccoon.

Mountain started seeing him around more frequently, little eyes peeking at him from behind a tree trunk or the outcropping of rocks by the lake. He would never ignore the crinkle of a chip bag or the tasty aroma of freshly picked berries—but only ever when Mountain was alone. He felt a fondness grow for the creature, blooming to the point where he would stash a variant of cheese snack in his pockets any time he left the abbey, just in case his friend were to appear. 

Naming him had been the only logical next step. “Hm,” he had pondered, holding out another cheese ball to the raccoon as they sat in Mountain’s favorite forest clearing. “What do you think about . . . Bandit?”

The little thing hissed softly, baring his tiny fangs at the suggestion. “Okay, okay, no Bandit. Um. Little One?” He snorted and began grooming himself. “You don’t complain about the nickname,” Mountain grumbled. “Okay, what about . . . Cheddar? Since you like the cheese balls so much?”

The raccoon huffed and rammed his squat body into Mountain’s thigh, banging his hard head against his leg. “Ow!” Mountain yelped, rubbing his hand over the spot he rammed into. “Lucifer, you’re like a tank,” he complained. 

The raccoon had perked up at that, hopping onto Mountain’s lap and gazing up at him with those dark eyes. “Tank?” His scarred ear flicked in annoyance. He pawed at the earth ghoul’s stomach as if pleading with him to try again. “Uh, you like how it sounds? But not Tank?” The raccoon rubbed his cheek into his shirt in agreement. “Okay . . . um. Huh–Hank, then?”

He had given the most delighted scratchy squeal, flopping onto his back and snuggling further into Mountain’s lap. The earth ghoul laughed and gave him a scratch on his soft exposed tummy. “Hank it is, then.”

Mountain supposes that’s the closest he’s gotten to actually talking to animals. He says as much to Cirrus and Dew, who are currently looking at him skeptically. Somewhere in the midst of telling his story, he’s scooped up Hank into his arms, cuddling him like a baby or perhaps a small dog. His fluffy tail certainly wags like one, swishing along the earth ghoul’s forearm as he pets behind his ears. 

“So is the raccoon your . . .  pet, then?”

“He’s not my pet,” he sighs, letting Hank roll out of his arms and pad towards the open doorway. “He’s still a ‘wild animal,’ as you so kindly pointed out. But he’s my friend. And I like when he hangs around.”

“Well,” Cirrus chirps, “it’s kind of cute, I guess!”

“It’s fuckin’ weird,” Dew mutters.  

Before Mountain can form another defense, there’s a loud screech from the doorway, followed by a soft purring meow. The three turn towards the noise in time to see Hank scampering happily around an elegant white cat. 

“Ah, Juniper, lovely to see you this morning,” Mountain laughs, striding over to greet her. 

“Juniper?!”

“She wasn’t so vocal about her name.” Mountain stoops down to run his hand down her back. She closes her eyes and gives a loud purr in return. “Found her in a juniper bush one day. Hank’s really taken a liking to her, as you can see.”

Dew scoffs, shaking his head. "Earth ghouls . . ."

[vaulttecinterns]

Do any of you guys have pets? I know we fight for pets in the vault, but does anyone actually have one?

Yes, we indeed do have pets! Leo has a Rottweiler named Rosco, who’s a lovable fellow!

I have some lab rats I rescued from extermination, which are called Diana and Phoebe.

Isabelle has 3 cats named Eclipse, Chip, and Mango.

Branden had a dog when he was a kid, named Theo, but he passed away.

Ella has a “pet raccoon” that she rescued from a bear trap named Mercury.

Hank is the only one without a pet.

You can see why we’re passionate about this cause!

:)

~Madeline Turner

[olliesmultimuse]

Movie Muses’ Tags

🦋⥽ ic / dynomutt ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / dorothy gale ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / lion ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / jamie bennett ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / e. aster bunnymund ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / angus scattergood ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / bodi ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / swifty ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / pb ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / rocket raccoon ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / clint barton ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / kate bishop ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / peter parker ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / vitaly ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / alex ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / jumba jookiba ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / lilo pelekai ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / iandore lightfoot ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / colt bronco ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / hiro hamada ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / wasabi ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / hank ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / dory ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / wolf w. wolf ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / wilbur  ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / trapper ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / adam harrison ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / wolf ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / delbert doppler ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / john silver ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / jim hawkins ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / maisie brumble ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / sarah sharpe ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / agustín madrigal ⥼

🦋⥽ ic / antonio madrigal ⥼

[mserm]

Kinda obsessed with this idea of post-Endgame Steve as one of Charles and Erik's handlers during First Class. He's not Moira, and definitly not CIA, but maybe some other agency? Possibly SHIELD related? He's been investigating Shaw in case he had any connection to Red Skull and somehow ends up being a part of the group that reaches out to Charles.

At first, I couldn't find anything interesting narratively with this because Charles would know immediately he's Captain America, right? Except now I'm convinced Charles would think Steve is INSANE. It's not the Captain America thing, though in context Charles doubts that. It's the fact that when Charles reads his mind, he finds out that Steve thinks he's from the future. And that he's fought aliens. And that he thinks he's friends with the God of Thunder. And oh wait, he's been to space. And worked with a fucking talking raccoon.

This man must be crazy and somehow he has the power of the government behind him.

Steve, on the other hand, is going by an alias and has only shared his past with a few choice people, often omitting the more unbelievable details. He's tried to be open with Peggy, but once he made a joke while they were in a park about not taking the time to learn Groot when he had a chance and she regarded him with such skepticism that he's kept most of the rest to himself.

He's beyond excited to get to work with the mutants, and despite the fact that he's pretty sure there weren't mutants in his own timeline (he would know!) he believes in them with all his heart. He feels especially kindred to Charles with all his rhetoric about using his gifts to help humanity. He adores Hank and his big brain. He's compelled by Erik's single-minded determination. He throws himself into the mission to find Shaw with his own special brand of stoic enthusiasm by researching mutation and running theories past Charles and Erik whenever he sees him.

Charles, at first, ignores these theories but slowly comes to the conclusion that this man is at least somewhat intelligent. He could be useful. And then Steve's the reason no one gets hurt when Shaw attacks the CIA compound, so Charles is willing to accept this guy might actually be Captain America incognito.

(But everything else must not be true. He's still crazy. Maybe all that experimentation fried his brain.)

Charles shares his thoughts with Erik, who cares less about the insanity angle and more about the fact that this man looks like he can actually protect people. He's glad there's at least one other person who can hold his own in hand-to-hand fighting. So what if Steve thinks he's close with the king of Wakanda? At least he's useful.

After the attack, Steve supports moving the team to Westchester. He doesn't trust the CIA and well, he's partial to the idea of a rich guy giving a bunch of misfits a home. He's also a little startled to discover that the very real possibility of nuclear war sparks something in him. Not excitement, definitely not that. But something closer to clarity. It's been almost twenty years since he's faced an annihilation-level threat. He, unfortunately, feels at home under end-of-the-world pressure.

So he helps train the young mutants and discusses tactics and feels closer to people than he has since he and Peggy started to drift apart. Then he sees fault lines in the conversations and arguments about the future of mutant-kind and is overtaken by a fear that it will tear the nascent group in two. Because what Steve knows is this: someday those differences won't matter. Someday you'll have the option of staring down an annihilation-level threat and being told that you weren't there when someone needed you and if you could choose again you'd choose the former.

But Steve doesn't try to interfere. He's not naive; he knows that he can only imagine what it's like to be a mutant.

But it's hard not to project.

It isn't that he regrets his decision to go back in time. He'd do it again. He saved Bucky and ripped Hydra out of SHIELD and he's so close to finding out how Red Skull ended up in space guarding the soul stone. But it isn't until he begins to teach Raven the finer points of combat that he truly feels not alone.

He's with them when they go to Cuba. He sits next to Moira and wonders if he should have brought the shield. He hasn't used it since he came back to the past. For all intents and purposes, Captain America is supposed to be dead; yet, Steve's blood thrums through his veins like he's standing on the ruins of the Avengers Compound next to Tony and Thor.

(Charles has long since learned to ignore Steve's strange internal monologue. This man should have been a storyteller instead of a soldier.)

Steve doesn't fix it, in the end. He falters just when he could be of use because when Erik holds those missiles in his power and turns them around on the ships he thinks of Tony turning a missile around and at flying it into the sky. He wonders how he could be so wrong about someone. It's at this moment Moira picks up the gun. Steve's fast, but he's not faster than a bullet.

It still shatters Charles's spine.

They save the world, yes, but Steve will only be able to watch as Erik's sent into solitary confinement. He can't prove Erik didn't kill Kennedy. And, of course, he'll try to reach out to Charles as the school closes and he shrinks into himself, but Charles can't stand to look at Steve and only finds him marginally more tolerable when he can't hear Steve's impossible thoughts.

It isn't until Logan arrives that Charles realizes that Steve might actually be the person he thinks he is. However, Steve's halfway across the world for some unimportant reason during the events of Days of Future's Past. He's not on the plane when Charles tells Erik that he wasn't there when Charles needed him. He's not there when Erik--again--chooses his principles over Charles.

And that's fine. You can't rewrite the future in Steve's brand of time travel. You live with your choices. You try to be there when people need you and you live with the consequences when you cannot.

[cogentranting]

I adore What If 2x02

Baby Hope and Peter bonding over missing their moms

Completely new 80s Avengers line-up

Howard saving Bucky

Peter with celestial powers as a kid superhero

Hank adopting (?) Peter (His grandfather should maybe get a say in that but hey maybe he's not around in this timeline)

Peggy and Howard casually talking about teenage Tony

"You don't say no to a free cat!"

Little Peter getting a stuffed raccoon