#he gets to be a hero minus the trauma

[olldolldraws]

Quirkless support course deku my beloved <3

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

honestly, i think the double standards with catra and glimmer stems from something other than pretty privilege, and it's something i've seen in a lot of media.

take, for instance, the atla fandom demonizing aang and katara but coddling azula. or the su fandom villanizing steven but making excuses for spinel and lapis.

and the reason for this is that villains or antagonists are always given more freedom to make mistakes, to do heinous shit, to be cold or rude or insensitive to others. the logic being that "they're the villain, of course they're gonna be horrible".

with heroes, on the other hand, there's this subconscious judgment whenever they make a mistake. heroes are meant to be perfect and as much as people say that they want more antiheroes, they always judge a hero based on how morally good they are.

which explains why katara is hated on for saying something insensitive out of repressed grief and trauma, but azula is coddled for committing multiple war crimes.

why glimmer is bashed for being kinda mean and making some bad choices due to grief and pressure, but catra's conscious choice to attempt genocide and willing participation in war is justified.

why steven is villanized for having a mental breakdown after years of suppressed trauma, but spinel's attempts to kill dozens of people on earth are excused.

why mabel is demonized for being kinda selfish sometimes and for being manipulated into giving away something she didn't know the importance of, but bill is loved by everyone.

why korra is blamed for trusting her uncle and losing her connection to the previous avatars, instead of unalaq being held accountable for manipulating her (unalaq isn't really coddled by the fandom but there's a huge victim blaming problem).

simply put, people want heroes to be pure. they want surface-level flaws like clumsiness and awkwardness, not REAL flaws. as much as these people say that they want more morally grey or complex heroes, the truth is that they can't even handle their hero being kinda rude to someone.

especially with characters like glimmer, mabel and katara, who have a more traditionally feminine aesthetic and is generally a good person, people expect them to be well-behaved and perfect all the time. even though both these characters were shown to be passionate and stubborn and fierce from the very beginning, people are still blindsided when they actually take a bold stance or act on their emotions.

and with steven, he was a nice, happy, easygoing kid in the beginning and he tried to remain optimistic throughout all the trauma he went through, so people just expect him to do that forever. to always repress his feelings and never give himself the space to express them, to always focus on being a therapist for literally every other character and to never prioritize himself.

and like sure, villains are meant to be evil. i'm not telling anyone to water down their villains. but there's a difference between liking a villain and excusing their actions. i like azula. i like all of the villains in tlok. i like bill cipher. i even like catra and white diamond minus their shitty redemption arcs.

but i'm not going to set double standards by justifying everything that a villain does and demonizing a hero for acting out of line once. especially if the hero actually takes responsibility for their actions and tries to be better, and the villains just get forgiven for doing the bare minimum.

[haine-kleine]

A potential I wish I could see more of in this fandom is the League on their days off. Same way we briefly saw Jin before the Overhaul arc.

Just like the heroes, the villains have their villain costumes, which they put on for 'work'. Unlike the heroes, who are prevented from having this due to PR and public's overall perception of them, the villains can just take those costumes off to blend in with the crowd without being noticed. As we already know, for Shigaraki just taking off his 'family' is enough.

To Toga, the highschool girl uniform serves as a disguise similarly to how Monoma's hero costume does. But combined with her distinctive red spider lily hairstyle, it makes it fairly easy to recognize her. So on her days off crime duty, she dresses as a regular girl, sometimes stealing Shigaraki's hoodies, opting to experiment with her hairstyles.

Similarly to her, Twice's villain costume comes out only on the days they have work scheduled. Otherwise, he shows up on his regular civilian clothes. After Kamino, they tried to make him wear something else instead of his usual mask for secrecy reasons, but after he turned up with a paperbag on his head, Shigaraki mercifully allowed him to wear whatever he wanted.

Mister Compress tries to keep his fancy villain suit for memorable occasions (the state it was in by the My villain academia arc was truly devastating), so usually he dresses like this.

Spinner's Stain cosplay stays in the closet most of the time. Usually he joins Shigaraki's pajama party, especially during their gaming marathons. Due to his trauma, it's hard to get him to go outside and when he does, he tries to cover as much of his body as possible. Once Shigaraki notices this, he makes sure to join Spinner outside as often as he can. After Shigaraki decays two people who gave Spinner trouble for his quirk, Shuichi stops covering his face and hands as much. It's also the reason they targeted that heteromorphobic cult specifically in MVA introduction.

After his face being seen had led to them almost being captured, Dabi starts hiding himself behind long sleeved high collared hoodies and huge sunglasses. Compress and Toga attempt to make him dress more normal and channel his inner emo aesthetic more than amateur drug dealer, to no avail. Indoors, he tends to ditch the three layered black outfit and go for loose shirts and shorts that won't catch his staples by accident with one wrong move. Also, when no fateful meetings with oblivious family members are scheduled, he tends to forego doing his hair. Attempting to avoid infection from the chemical dye when you are a walking open wound is more hassle than it's worth, so for quick villain outings or his meeting with Hawks, he throws a cap or a hoodie on and calls it a day.

Shigaraki dresses exactly the same as he does when on villain duty, minus the hands. Even though it's convenient, it pisses him off how easy it is for him to blend in and go around unrecognized. When the League gets more popular and their merch replaces Stain's, even having Father on his face can get in the way of his recognition as the Symbol of Fear, when teenagers compliment him on his sick Shigaraki cosplay.

I'd say Kurogiri remains just as well dressed and proper as usual whether he is working at the bar, chaperoning Shigaraki or has a day off, but the image of him channelling his inner Shirakumo and going around naked is just too funny to pass up. He sends the entire League into hysterics, but he is mist, what improper is there about being mist without any clothes on?..

[fanfic-writer-and-rambler]

Harley Quinn continues her mission to get Jason Todd to not hate her, but she can't keep following him, she needs to talk to those close to him. (if I didn't use their hero names here and their actual names, my bad)

Orphan (Cass) and Spoiler (Stephanie) take a break from patrolling and chat about cartoon characters on top of q building.

Orphan: My favorite character would be Patrick.

Spoiler: No way! He's so annoying. I'm a SpongeBob girl.

Orphan: Patrick is lovably dumb, SpongeBob is too loud.

Spoiler: So is Patrick.

Orphan: Not all the time.

Harley: I've always preferred Sandy!

Orphan and Spoiler scream. Spoiler jumps into Orphan's arms.

Harley, groaning: Jacy I understand, why are you screamin? I jumped into the conversation so well and you're screamin? You're masters of stealth!

Spoiler: Thank you, but-

Orphan drops Spoiler.

Spoiler: Ow!

Spoiler stands to her feet.

Spoiler: You sneaking up on me always unnerves me. Since you were Joker's girlfriend.

Orphan: I could hear your footsteps when you made it to the roof, Spoiler's screaming scared me. SpongeBob fan indeed.

Spoiler: Stand by what I said. Back to Harley, hey it's good to see you again, minus the screaming. Sorry.

Harley: You're fine, I should be used to it by now. Spoiler for you and the dark suited one, Orphan?

Orphan: Correct, it's nice to see you as well. You came here for a purpose. Your body language suggests you’re stressed, what is it that bothers you?

Harley: Geez Batman wasn't kidding about your body reading skills. You got me, I need some help with Jason. He hates me.

Spoiler: He kind of has a disdain for everyone. Except for Nightwing ... Signal... and Orphan.

Orphan nods.

Spoiler: Wait, you know his real name?

Orphan: She was there when he died, she remembers his real name from that. She calls him Jacy as an endearing nickname.

Harley, resting her bat behind on her shoulders: Yup, which he hates. I save the kid when he's tied up in a building, we fought Snowflame and I gave him a puffy cat sticka, but he hates my guts. I get it, but we're trauma siblings! We have a special bond that can only be fixed with fighting other baddies.

Spoiler gasps.

Spoiler: Trauma siblings! That's me and Orphan! That doesn't work on him?

Harley: No!

Harley plants her bat on the ground, groaning.

Harley: I even offered my therapy services.

Spoiler, chuckling: Yeah, but you're not an actual therapist, you-

Harley, aiming her bat at Spoiler's nose: If you say I slept with a professor to pass college, I'll bop you in the arm. I am intelligent! Wouldn't have gotten with Ivy if I was a ditz.

Spoiler, lowering the bat: Sorry, dude. To be honest, I got nothing to help you. It took me two years to have Jason talk to me for longer than a minute.

Harley shoulders slump defeated and unsure what to do next.

Orphan taps her chin wondering what advice to give.

Orphan: It took a year to befriend him, you're off to a good start with being nice to him. I suggest giving him a better peace offering. He likes books, get him a book.

Harley: A book? What's his genre fave? What's he like to read the most?

Spoiler: Mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction.

Orphan: No, it's sci-fi not fantasy. I'd recommend something akin to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, historical fiction he's been wanting to read Lady Macbeth and the Brigerton series, any book will work there. His detective book interests are random.

Spoiler, mystified: Sometimes I wonder how you know these things.

Orphan: Bruce keeps a file on his interests so he can send him the best birthday gifts. He has one for all of us.

Spoiler: Is that why he bought those boxing gloves for my birthday last year?

Orphan nods.

Spoiler fist pumps happily.

Harley: That is sweet, nevah pegged Batsy as the sentimental type. This helps though. I got some shoppin' to do, thanks girls... Orphan mostly.

Spoiler: Hey, I suggested books first!

Harley: You got most of them wrong and no suggestions. She told me about Brigerton. She saved me time.

Orphan: No problem.

Harley waves bye, turning on her heel and rushing across rooftops with ease.

Spoiler: I like her. She's insane, but likable.

Orphan: Agreed. Now Squidward or Mr. Krabs?

Spoiler: Mr. Krabs, obviously.

Orphan: We've arrived at another impasse.

-----------------------------

Harley Quinn leaves the stack of books she bought at a book store in Jason's car. She tossed a rock to get in since she never learned to pick car lock. She rund off eagerly.

Jason makes it to his car, sees the broken window glass on the front seat and sighs.

Jason: Oh that's real nice.

Jason wipes the glass off his seat while wearing his gloves then sits in the car. He sees the tote bag of books in his front passenger seat.

Jason: Why are there- Who breaks into a car and leaves a gift?

Jason notices the note.

Jason, reading the note: Jacey- Oh God- I bought as many books that I think you'll like and a couple that helped me when I needed help, but mostly a lot of Brigerton. I got the five new ones. I also found Lady Macbeth the collectors edition. I paid for them with my own money, don't worry, not stealing. I hope this shows I'm truly sorry for what happened to you.

Jason sighs.

Jason: I hate that this is actually a nice gift.

He grabs the top book and sees it's the latest Brigerton book.

Jason: Good damn it I didn't even know this one was out yet. It's a start.

[takerfoxx]

Okay.

I don't often gush about movies on this blog. Hell, I don't often go to the movies anymore. I just don't have the attention span for it. And I honestly was going to give this one a miss until someone who's opinion I trust was adamant that I needed to see this film right now on the biggest screen possible while I still had the chance. So, FOMO out won over, and I went to go see Godzilla Minus One in Imax.

...

Look, I've been a Godzilla fan practically all my life. My family used to rent those old english dubs of the films on VHS from Blockbuster in the early nineties. I grew up with these monsters. But I have to admit, I've never seen the original, nor have I seen Shin Godzilla. To me, Godzilla is about one thing and one thing only.

Fuck.

Yeah.

Gimme the big monsters just going HAM on each other. Rubber suits, CGI, I don't care! I want the big boys with beef to beef with a large side of cheese!

I guess that's why Godzilla 2014 ultimately left me feeling kind of cold while I absolutely loved KOTM despite how stupid a lot of it was. I just want my big monsters absolutely wrecking shit.

This was different. I knew it was going to be different. A remake of the original Godzilla, this time from the viewpoint of the common citizens still trying to get their lives together after WW2? I knew I was in for some heavy drama.

What I didn't expect was one of the most amazing theater experience I have ever had.

And I'm not just saying that because the movie is good, even though it is.

I'm not just saying that because the movie is great, even though it is.

I'm not just saying that because it's a goddamn masterpiece, even though it is.

I'm saying that because it's about as close to perfect of a film as you can get, and not just of a Godzilla movie, but just as a movie!

Like, it's a running joke that you can cut the human characters out of any Godzilla movie. Here, you could cut Godzilla out and still have a great movie. That's how good the human side of things was.

Like, you really grow attached to these people who have literally lost everything. You grow invested in their struggles, in their relationships, in their baggage, in their love for one another. You come to care about them and are genuinely happy as they eke out a new life after having their homes literally blown to bits. You just want to see them succeed and be happy together.

And that's when Godzilla shows up.

This movie is called Godzilla Minus One in reference to how post-war Japan was basically a Zero Society, left devastated by the conflict. And these people who literally were left with nothing suddenly find even that ripped away as an enormous monster just starts rampaging through the recovering cities.

And this time, Godzilla isn't an avenging hero. He's not a destructive anti-hero. He's not a fun mascot. He's not even a poor, suffering monster unaware of the destruction that he's wreaking. This Godzilla is goddamn menace, an outright monster that is absolutely terrifying. He wants to crush, kill, and destroy. This is Godzilla at his most actively malicious, and all you can do is gape up in horror with these people that you've come to care so much about, wondering how in the hell are they supposed to deal with this!

I won't give away how the day is eventually saved, only to say that it is a masterclass of character-driven suspense and emotion. You honestly come to root for the humans for once. You want to see them succeed, and are genuinely in fear for their lives. No exaggeration, I had my heart in my throat and tears in my eyes all throughout the climax. I don't cry during movies, and this movie made me sob like a baby. It was that good.

And it also had so much to say! Not only about Japan's collective trauma following the nuclear bombs or the other bombing raids like the original, but also about how the Japanese government dehumanized its own people during the war, treating them as expendable resources to fuel the war machine. The main character is a freaking kamikaze pilot who lost his nerve and abandoned his mission, and that plus another act of what he saw as cowardice haunts him throughout the movie, and while it realistically shows how such a person would be treated like a pariah by his former friends and neighbors, it is nothing but sympathetic toward him. He blames himself constantly, but the narrative never seems to.

And there's just this wonderful moment near the end, when it's clear that the government isn't coming to the rescue, so it's up to the common man to band together and find a solution, when a few men leave the mission for fear of their lives and that of their families, and are not condemned for it. And the scientist spearheading the whole thing gives this lovely little speech about how carelessly life has been treated during the war, from the kamikazes to the poorly maintained supply chains to how the common folk were left to fend for themselves, and he hopes to just once be able to secure a win that doesn't sacrifice any more lives. Wow.

I know it's probably too late for anyone else to see it, because I'm pretty sure it's theatrical run ends today. I just wanted to get this review off my chest, because wow, this was the best movie I've seen all year. What a goddamn masterpiece.

[the-egg]

So This is Love

Song Fic: So this is love - Ilene Woods, Mike Douglas

Miguel O'Hara x gn!reader

Summary: "you can fix him" except he fixes you too.

Tags: Mild cursing, trauma bonding, strangers to lovers, fluff

Words: 9.8k

Loving Miguel was the greatest choice your heart had ever made, and you swore your life on it. Normalcy was a temporary feeling for masked heroes, but, together with him, it bloomed to be everlasting. The sun to your moon. Together, you would learn to find peace.

Before being a part of the exhilarating world of Spider Society, you lived two lives. Two exhausting lives. During the day, you worked for the government as a public defense attorney. Long hours and a terrible work-life balance were your normal lifestyle. Then, two years ago, you were bitten by a radioactive spider that belonged to the same government you worked for. Since then, you’ve been the world’s one and only spider. The Spider, to be specific. You didn’t choose the name, much like how you didn’t choose to get bit, but at least you got to choose the suit! A shining white with silver webbed streaks across your chest. You preferred Spider-Moon or Moon-Spider as your name, but The Spider had already stuck. Much like how you were stuck patrolling the city at night, every night.

On this night in particular, nothing was out of the ordinary. You leaped from rooftop to rooftop, keeping a watchful eye on all the people you'd sworn to protect.

So, wouldn’t you believe your luck?

One day you were out patrolling in the late hours of the night when the full moon shined brighter than the street lights. While criminal activity was surprisingly low tonight, your senses kept you on guard. Scaling to the top of a building, you stood on the edge as you looked down below. Everyone was now just tiny ants. Tiny ants that were under your protection. There was one ant, though, that caught your eye—someone you couldn’t quite grasp whether you were supposed to protect or attack.

You peered down below, focusing on a dark alleyway that had begun to glow into a rather large hexagonal shape, a tall silhouette making its way through the light.

"Probably not a good guy," you said quietly to yourself, both hands on your hips, waiting ever so impatiently for this mystery to make an appearance.

===

"Hey, Miguel, check this out," Lyla called out from across the platform. "I found another good one for ya!"

The man in question sighed, not removing his eyes from a video of his latest anomaly capture. Despite his team's success, they still lacked in numbers. After discovering the vast concept of the multiverse, and learning from his catastrophic mistake, he needed to expand his team of spiders to keep the multiverse safe and in balance. Naturally, he couldn’t accept just anyone; he needed people he could trust not to abuse their power. People who could make the quick decision to save the lives of 100 people over the lives of one important person.

"If ‘good’ means recruiting another Spider-Plush, then I’m not interested," he replied, his tone flat. Lyla popped up next to Miguel with a smirk on her pixelated face.

"Aww, come on! Just take a peek!"

"No."

"This relationship isn’t gonna work if you’re not willing to compromise." Lyla crossed her arms to solidify her point, yet the smirk still remained.

Miguel’s eye twitched as he ran a hand over his mouth. When he said he wanted an AI with a smart mouth, he didn’t mean this. Nevertheless, it’s what he’s got, and she’s too important for Miguel to boss her around. He finally averted his eyes and looked at Lyla’s screen.

It wasn’t a Spider-Plush, which was a plus, but it wasn’t Peter Parker from the LEGO dimension, which was a minus.

The Spider

Earth 5863

"’The Spider’? That’s a stupid name," Miguel commented, crossing his arms.

"You know what I think is stupid?" Lyla said as she narrowed her eyes at the tall brood. The brood in question made a noise of disapproval. "The name ‘arachno-humanoid polymultiverse,’ but yeah, you know exactly what things sound stupid."

He turned his head to stare at Lyla, unsmiling and unblinking. The AI responded with a Cheshire smile. Taking a breath, Miguel turned his head to the screen.

All Canon Events Completed

Special Abilities…

The list droned on about the usual abilities that came with the title: enhanced speed, strength, hearing, agility, etc. Until the list came to one ability that wasn’t as common: shadow manipulation. No one else in the spider society had such an ability. This person could actually be useful.

"Lyla," Miguel commanded, "I need you to expand on this one. What can they do with this?" He pointed out the unusual ability on the list.

"Oh, so now you’re interested in who I have picked out? They can do, like, shadowy things." Lyla motioned with her hands as if imitating what a shadow was capable of. "Ya know, be one with the shadow? Kinda freaky how the atoms in their body can just go—poof! They can change their shape if they try really, really hard, though, but I wouldn’t rely on it."

Miguel had to hold back an eye roll at her unprofessionalism, but the information she provided always hit the mark.

Having The Spider on the team could be incredibly beneficial on stealth missions, especially since no one would expect them to be hiding in plain sight. Mission casualties could drop, and anomalies could be captured faster. For once in the ever-growing stress of Miguel’s life, he could feel the burden of maintaining the multiverse lighten on his shoulders. He just needed to recruit them and hope that you wouldn’t give him a hard time.

===

So this is love?

When you saw the 6’9”, absolutely stunning figure of someone walking through what you assumed to be a portal, you were wishing they weren’t a bad guy. The suit was mostly blue, save for the red lines outlining certain features of his body. Standing on the ledge, you observed as he looked at his surroundings, seemingly looking for something or someone.

Without even having to determine on your own whether they were a friend or foe (which, in your universe, anyone who had powers tended to be a foe), it hit you. The spider-sense. Connecting and flowing with a stranger you would come to realize wouldn’t be much of a stranger to you anymore.

They were like you. You weren’t alone anymore.

Feeling the same sensation, the stranger's head snapped up to see you.

===

When Miguel felt your presence, your connection, he quickly looked up to meet your gaze. As soon as his eyes saw you, his breath hitched. He felt his heart pound for a quick second before calming back down. Being taken aback by a new spider was never something that he did. Sure, the disappointment he felt when meeting Peter B. Parker was a notable first impression he had, but this wasn’t like that.

In the nearly pitch-black sky above him, you were glowing. The moon behind you gave you a soft white hue as the stars glimmered at your side. You controlled the night. Your confidence. Your power. You were in your element.

And he was about to pull you out of it.

"Moon-Spider would have been a better name," he thought to himself, quickly blinking so he could get back into his no-nonsense, super-serious mindset that everyone just loved so much. As quickly as he refocused, you had left your position at the top of the building, confusing Miguel only for a moment as you appeared in front of him. His eyes followed you as you materialized into the light of the streetlamp, holding his gaze.

"You’re like me!" you lilted, taking confident yet careful steps toward him. "Are you… from here?" You peered at him through your mask, taking careful note of his hands and feet in case he was ready to strike.

"I’m not,” the stranger replied, his voice sending a warm chill down your spine. 

“I figured. Well, I’m The Spider. You might have heard of me before, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of you…” you trailed your words, hoping that this stranger would fill in and introduce himself. 

“I’m Spiderman, and I’m from a different dimension.” 

Your posture went slack as you cocked a brow at this wannabe Spider. He couldn’t see your expression, but it was the thought that counted. 

“If I wasn’t so tired right now, I would humor you, but last I checked, multiple dimensions haven’t been discovered. Besides, I haven’t heard of anyone talking about a Spiderman roaming the streets.”

The stranger sighed and pinched his brow before holding up his arm.

“You see this?” the man pointed at the watch on his wrist. “This device helps me travel throughout different dimensions. I’m from Earth 928, and this place is Earth 5863.”

“So that goober is supposedly transporting people into other dimensions?”

“Gizmo,” he corrected, “and it’s not just any people, it's Spider-people. People like us.”

Despite being skeptical about his story, you couldn’t deny that you felt the spider connection toward him. He couldn’t have been lying about that. 

“So, there’s more of you out there? More people like us?”

“Yes, I’m only one Spiderman out of the many we have back at headquarters.” 

You have to admit that it was shocking to know that multidimensional travel was possible, but to know that there were other spider people out there made your heart fill with glee. Being The Spider had taken a lot of sacrifices. Shoes that were only your size to fill. Having a friend in this could make those unbearable days bearable.

"Spiderman sounds better than The Spider. I’m jealous."

"That’s not the part you should be focusing on…"

"What? Is this whole visit to my dimension just business?"

Before he could finally get into his speech and proposition, an explosion was heard a few blocks over, followed by the sounds of several car alarms going off and the on-cue cat howling. Both heads snapped in the direction of the commotion before turning back toward one another. "Okay, now I have to go deal with my business." You pointed a thumb behind you as you started walking backward, away from him. "But I’ll be back in probably 5 to 10 minutes tops, so I’d love to hear all about this multiverse stuff when I come back!"

You didn’t wait for him to respond as you shot your webs out and swung away, leaving Miguel alone and a tad frustrated until-

"Hey," Lyla greeted as she popped up out of the fancy little gizmo, "You will never believe your timing! An anomaly has been reported here, and you’re already on the scene. Lucky you!" The sarcastic tone did nothing to bring Miguel joy, but he had a job to do nonetheless. He closed his watch and swung in your direction.

===

So this is what makes life divine?

Over a month had passed since your first interaction with Miguel and the rest of the spider society. To say you were overjoyed was an understatement. To say you were a bit overwhelmed was on point. Having this watch meant that you could finally form connections with people who understood you. They knew what it was like to live a double life. To feel like you couldn’t be friends with people knowing they only knew half of who you were.

They also knew what it was like to lose an uncle, but hey, who hadn’t here?

Despite this feeling of belonging, you felt uneven, unbalanced; it was like you were juggling three worlds. Your first life as a civilian involved dealing with caseloads on a day-to-day basis. Then, you go home in the evening to your second life: The Spider. Now, you’ve been convinced to take on a third: a member of the multidimensional spider society and one of Miguel’s best friends assets.

You were hesitant at first; your mind was muddled as he brought up this proposition while fighting your first anomaly in your dimension. Originally, you were against joining. Why would you spend your time fighting villains in other dimensions when you can already do that at home? That’s when he showed you his headquarters. Let’s just say you were more in it for the spider-people than you were for the crime-fighting, multiverse saving, and all that good heroic nobility.

This job came with a lot of sacrifice and your sleep schedule was gone to the wind, but at least you’re having fun! 

Multiple times a week, Miguel would send you off to fight anomalies, assist fellow spiders, and help him track and record dimensional disturbances. Solo missions became a rarity for you, something you only did back on Earth 5863. Now, you and Miguel would fight side by side with the occasional Jessica or Scarlet Spider.

Miguel was a bit of a brood; there was no doubt about it, but there were days when his face would drop and the hard lines around his face would soften. He was just like you—exhausted.

He’d make the perfect friend, and you were determined to make it happen!

Currently, you and Miguel are in another dimension. Another anomaly report. You’ve done this song and dance before.

Miguel would always go in head first. Let the anomaly think that there was only one spider there to stop them. You would blend in as best as you could, crawling from shadow to shadow and shooting out webs in the darkness to yank the anomaly in the direction of Miguel’s attack. As the song would come to an end, you’d make your appearance known when the villain of the week was a bit disoriented and weakened, and swiftly make a joint attack to knock them cold. The song was over. The two partners would bow and make their way to their next dance.

Today, though, you didn’t bow out.

"Hey," you called out as Miguel was about to make a portal, "let’s take a breather. It’s the last anomaly of the night, right?"

"I don’t have time for a breather," he denied, not even looking at you as he summoned a portal. "You did good today. Keep it up."

You frowned before quickly walking in front of him and placing your hand over his watch.

"You act like there are not around 100 people back at HQ who could easily take over for 5 minutes." You motioned over to the anomaly trapped and unconscious in the force field. "Besides, they’re not going anywhere anytime soon."

He didn’t say anything as he stared at you. Maybe he was death-glaring, but he was wearing a mask, so what you didn’t know couldn’t hurt you. Plus, you didn’t break eye contact. It was a battle of wits, and you weren’t one to back down.

"The answer is still no."

"I’ll quit the team right now."

"No, you won’t."

You gave him a pointed glare, your hand slowly tightening around his wrist. Let him call your bluff; see what happens. While you wouldn’t actually do it, you could tell he had a little quirk about letting Lyla boss him around.

He stayed silent as he gently took his wrist away from you and set a five-minute timer on his gizmo.

"5 minutes only," he agreed in defeat. You smiled at him. He couldn’t see the smile through the mask, but it was the effort that counted.

"Perfect! We’ll be back at HQ before you start to get homesick. Come on." You motioned with one hand as you shot a web onto the rooftop of a building with the other. He muttered something in Spanish that you couldn’t catch but reluctantly followed you onto the roof. Watching you as you sat on the edge with your legs dangling, he wondered why the hell he decided to listen to you. To let you drag him around as if you knew him like you were friends.

You knew nothing about him.

As the silence filled the air around you, he sat down next to you, giving himself a considerable amount of space. He heard you sigh as you took off your mask, allowing yourself to truly breathe after the day you'd had. He followed your motions. Despite his annoyance with your request, he wasn’t fully opposed to it. Throughout your short interactions together since you started working with him, he could tell that you shared more in common with him than he would have liked. You were constantly busy. If you weren’t patrolling the night or stopping an anomaly, you were contacting clients and reviewing dockets. Your brain was a lightbulb that was never shut off until it was so hot it could burst, so when you insisted that you both take a break, he knew you meant it. He knew you were asking if he could switch off your light and you to his.

Two heroes, unmasked, sat side by side, quietly watching the sun slowly rise in the cool air.

To him, it felt nice not having a marathon of thoughts in his head, and he was glad he wasn’t alone. At the thought of your presence next to his, he turned his head and—

His thoughts came to a halt.

Even with the sun slowly making its presence known above the horizon, he could have sworn the moon was still shining right next to him. As much as he hated to admit it, he thought you were absolutely stunning.

He cleared his throat, catching your attention as you averted your gaze from the sun.

"Did you pick the name The Spider?" he asked, his voice quiet as if any louder would break the peace. You hummed as a smile grew on your lips.

"Nope," you denied, shaking your head slowly as the exhaustion crept up on you. "I would never pick a name that had the word ‘the’ in it, but it’s not like I could get a say in it."

"We don’t get a choice in any of it. The title and the powers."

"Yup." Your eyes went downcast, unfortunately being reminded of what awaited you back in your dimension. The unbearable responsibility. The sleepless nights. Now wasn’t the time to think about stress and work, though. You looked back up at Miguel. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, silently shutting off the timer before it reached its end.

"I always thought Moon-Spider suited you better."

===

I’m all aglow.

It was Saturday on Earth 5863, or midday to be more specific. Despite the rest of the world already up and tackling the day, your life as the masked hero didn’t end until 4 A.M. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter how tired you were because your body refused to be dormant past 11 in the morning. You groaned, burying your head in your hands, trying to comprehend why your body wouldn’t just rest. As much as you’d like to sink in and become one with your bed all day, your social battery was empty, and so was your stomach. Your sleep was going to have to wait.

During the week, you didn’t have much time to get yourself a proper lunch, mainly just a quickly made sandwich or salad that you’d have to chow down on during a quick lunch break. This made it a struggle to really treat yourself, but you knew just the treat you’d like today.

After stretching your aching muscles, you slid out of bed and got ready for a trip through the multiverse.

===

You walked through the doors of HQ, adorning your suit without the mask and greeting every Spider as you briskly made your way to the cafeteria.

"Hey, Jess," you greeted, catching her eye as she walked in the opposite direction. "Is Miguel in his office?"

"Yup, he’s been there all night. Are you gonna go and bother him?"

"Not today, I might feed him, though. Maybe water him and give him some sunshine while I’m at it."

Jess giggled, committing to the bit, "Well, the kitchen just made a fresh batch of empanadas if you wanna give him some fertilizer."

You hummed happily with her as you carried on down the hall, desperately rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. Aside from getting a small box of empanadas, you learned that their hamburgers were now made with buns that looked like Miguel’s mask.

"It’s probably a courtesy to that nice ass," you thought to yourself. Although you would never voice that thought out loud, Miguel was handsome; he was most definitely your type, and you knew that from the moment you met him. The way he acted, though, seemed so defensive, like he couldn’t trust anyone. While you enjoyed your regular rooftop breaks with him, you couldn’t help but want more.

On the other hand, Miguel didn’t know what he needed from you; he just liked it when you were near him. Whether you guys were fighting or sitting in silence. When he was with you, he felt like he had permission to loosen up a bit. Although he would never voice that thought out loud, the last thing he needed was to feel an attachment to someone who wasn’t his…

Nevertheless, one box of empanadas and two Miguel burgers later, you were off to his office.

When you arrived, Miguel was staring off into the multitude of screens around him on his platform. You knocked on the frame of the threshold before webbing yourself up onto the platform. He turned his head in your presence.

"Morning," he greeted, his tired eyes shifting back to the screens.

"Afternoon," you corrected, emphasizing the time difference. "Long night?"

This time, Miguel turned his whole body toward you, leaning back against the desk to give you his full attention. At this angle, you could see the eyebags forming on his face.

"You have no idea."

You shrugged, your own eyes just as exhausted as his.

"Try me," you encouraged as you tossed him an empanada. "Was it Hobie again?"

"It’s always Hobie!" he exclaimed as he threw his hands up in frustration, catching the empanada in the process. "Two weeks into this, and he’s managed to get sidetracked from his missions 10 times! Instead of going after the anomaly, he went after the corporate head of some phone company. Can you believe him?"

You nodded as he continued his rant but looked around the platform for a good place to set your lunch. Eyeing a small swivel chair near Miguel, you put the food there before leaning back against the desk. The ranting man continued his complaint, but you could practically see the stress rolling off his shoulders as his posture relaxed. You never really minded being a listening ear for him, especially when he let you both have a moment to relax after the pressure of it all. It was a silent, yet mutual, agreement between you and him. To rest together. To be just a bit normal together. Even if it’s the small things like having a quick lunch or taking a somewhat silent break that always lasted more than five minutes.

"I swear if he blows a hole into the multiverse next week... I don’t even know what I’m going to do," Miguel concluded, absolutely exasperated as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath before looking up at you, wanting to shine the spotlight on you. "That’s my life, I guess. What’s been going on with you? You look tired."

You took a bite of your burger before responding, "More or less than usual?"

"More."

"Damn. Well, before I start, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Are there any universes where Doc Ock is MD rather than Ph.D.?"

"There might be a few, why?" Miguel cocked his brow at you.

"Because now I have to find a new physician." Hearing your news, Miguel’s eyes went wide as he leaned in a bit closer.

"Your physician was Doc Ock?" Miguel asked as his voice raised an octave.

"Doc fucking Ock," you confirmed, putting emphasis on the added middle name. "I had a fight with her the night before my appointment and finally caught her the next day." You finished off your burger and tossed your trash dramatically into the bin next to you. Miguel had a small smile on his face, finding your suffering just as amusing as you found his.

"How did you not catch on that your doctor was Dr. Octavius? It’s in the name!"

"She went by her married name!" you defended yourself with a smile on your face before sighing. "We’re too tired for this shit."

"Now, that I can agree with." On cue, Miguel yawned.

"At least I’m not as tired as you."

"Doubt it. Have you seen yourself?"

"Have you?" You leaned forward. "It’s like you’re moving in slow motion over there."

Miguel just scoffed, not believing your accusation.

"Yeah, sure," he agreed, with sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"It doesn’t matter anyway. Just eat your burger already; it’s probably cold now."

You motioned to the food still sitting on the chair next to him. Without turning to look, he reached a hand over to grab his lunch, confident in his aim. You watched, without a single bit of energy left to move, as he missed and hit the chair. Miguel turned to look, just as unmoving as you, and watched as the chair rolled off the high platform.

Both of you peeked your heads over to watch its descent. You turned to look at Miguel.

“So are you going to catch it or…?” you trailed as you looked back down to the swiftly descending meal. Miguel blinked once, then twice. 

“Oh shit–”

It was too late. The chair and delicious food landed with a loud clatter on the ground far below.

The two of you look at the wreckage. Neither of you said anything. Neither of you even thought to web the chair as it made its descent; you were too tired to realize that you guys had the ability to stop it and simply accepted fate.

Slowly, you both turned to each other. You had to put a fist to your mouth, trying to stop the rolling laughter bubbling inside of you.

"Don’t laugh," Miguel threatened, pointing a finger at you, but seeing you try and hold it in caused a smile to bloom on his face. "It’s not funny."

"But you—" You quickly put a hand back over your mouth to stop a laugh— "I'm sorry." You laughed again before shaking your head. "You’re right, that’s not funny. It’s actually very… sad." Your lip quivered as you tried your hardest not to upset him by laughing again despite seeing the smile on his face.

Miguel turned to look back at his lunch. The top bun with his mask was resting on an exploded empanada. The urge to laugh began bubbling inside of him, but he refused to give in. He wasn’t the kind of guy to laugh at silly little things.

You followed his gaze and pointed at the bun.

"Imagine being that guy," you said, your voice breaking. He couldn’t hold it in anymore, and neither could you. Both of you started giggling quietly, gradually growing into full laughter. Miguel couldn’t tell if it was because you both were so utterly exhausted, but to him, this was the hardest he had ever laughed since he lost his daughter, and you didn’t have a clue. Neither of you could stop gasping for air, and you had to place a hand on his arm to stabilize yourself. He placed a hand on your shoulder so you two wouldn’t topple over, leaning close to you as the laughter kept rolling out.

As the humor died down and your eyes met his, the smiles on your faces continued to bloom. No matter how extraordinary the circumstances of this situation, for a moment, you two felt something you hadn’t felt in a long time: normal.

===

And now I know.

Something wasn’t right today. For once, your workload was light, and your patrol was more of a peaceful midnight walk. When it came to your third, most preferable life, you knew there had been a shift. You were sent on a mission with a different group of spiders, Miguel not being one of them. Then, when you went back to HQ, no one had seen Miguel. Some spiders had joked that he had finally taken a day off, but you knew better than that. The only time he seemed to ever take a break was when he was forced to, and not even Peter B. knew where he was!

The only information you could get out of Peter was,

"Today is not a good day for him," Peter grimaced. "It’s probably best to let him be."

"Why? What happened?" you questioned as your brows furrowed.

"It’s not my place to say, bud. Sorry!"

You weren’t going to press Peter further, already gathering that whatever had happened was a sensitive topic to discuss, but there was one thing you knew for sure. Miguel was alone. More importantly, Miguel struggled to take care of himself mentally and socially, and he struggled even more to admit that to anyone.

Despite worrying that you may be overstepping your boundaries with him, you went into his empty office and asked Lyla to track him down for you. Again, you were met with resistance.

"I dunno if I should tell you," Lyla cautioned, shrugging her shoulders at you. "He told me not to tell anyone where he was going."

"And how often do you actually listen to his requests?" you argued, noting a serious change in Lyla’s tone. "I’d like to make sure Miguel is okay. He’s my friend."

Lyla cocked a brow at you, knowing full well how "friendly" you and Miguel seem to act around one another. Taking breaks to watch the sunrise and sunset while sitting less than a foot apart. Joking around with one another whenever the moment aroused. Grabbing a meal when you stopped by his office. Yeah, these were totally activities that Miguel does when he’s "just friends" with someone. She’s seen the looks you two give each other. Whether you realized it or not, you guys didn’t like each other just as friends. Not only that, but in the six months you had been here, there had been a change in the atmosphere around HQ. Miguel was smiling more, you were happier, and missions ran more smoothly with you two as a team.

So, fuck it. Miguel can yell at Lyla later if this all goes wrong.

"Fine," Lyla groaned, despite believing that sending you to Miguel was a good move. "Good luck."

===

Miguel sat on the rooftop of an Earth that wasn’t his own. The sun was on the cusp of setting as warm orange and pink colors slowly made an appearance in the darkening sky. He refused to meddle in this world, not even going down onto the streets to interact with anyone. Instead, he sat on the rooftop alone in his thoughts as he watched the people live their normal lives down below. Doing this made him feel alone, like an outcast undeserving of the simple pleasures life had to offer. In his mind, this feeling was what he deserved; the joy of simplicity wasn’t a concept he could keep in his life. For him, he needed this reminder of how he should feel after what he had done.

The sound of a portal opening could be heard behind him. Miguel immediately tensed; no one should be here. He turned his head, already glaring at the person who dared to track him down today. Unfortunately, it was you. His glare softened. No. No. NO. You could not be here. You can’t be here. Especially today…

You stood there silently, your mask off and your hands fidgeting, as you looked at him with your kind eyes. Even without words, you could practically feel the tension radiating off of him, but you could also see the look in his eyes. He was scared. Nervous even. You had to tread carefully. He was your friend, but there was still so much you didn’t know about him.

"I don’t know what you’re going through, Miguel," you started, your voice a touch quieter, "but I’m here for you."

He turned his head away from you, unable to tell you to go away. He wanted you here with him, but—

"I don’t deserve it," Miguel finally said, his voice level matching your own. You took his voice as a reason to move closer, sitting next to him on the rooftop.

"What don’t you deserve?"

"This." He motioned between the two of you. "I don’t deserve to have this kind of peace."

"Why?" Your eyes pleaded for an answer, knowing that he had the right to not tell you anything yet silently begging for him to open up to you. He didn’t answer as he continued to look down upon the crowds of people walking on the street, a hard expression glazing over his face. He was too nervous to admit to you what he had done in fear that you would leave after knowing how selfish he once was. You reached out one more time, placing a hand on his shoulder. At the warm contact, Miguel turned to look at you again. "Please," you begged. "You can be vulnerable with me, I promise."

He searched your eyes for a sliver of regret, an instance of a fruitless promise, but he found nothing. Sighing, he placed a hand over your own, his eyes finding security in yours.

"Understand that I regret what I’ve done, and the actions I took are inexcusable."

You nodded.

"I’m here for you," you reassured, trying to quell the tension choking the air around you two. Miguel squeezed your hand before you pulled away.

He told you everything.

What he did. When he did. Why he did it.

Your heart cracked inside your chest. It yearned to reach out and hold him. To tell him that it wasn’t his fault. That he couldn’t have known the consequences of breaking canon. This tragedy had become the driving force behind all that he did within the Spider Society. He’s exhausted because he felt he didn’t deserve to rest knowing he put the lives of an entire reality six feet under, including his daughter. The daughter that wasn’t really his. The daughter, the family, that he so desperately craved but felt he could never achieve in his own time.

Instead of an embrace, you told him everything that was running through your mind. You knew that his self-deprecating mindset was not something you could fix in this conversation, but you could push him in the right direction. Encourage him to go to one of the many therapists back at HQ, help take some of the blame off his shoulders, and remind him that he deserves and will find his own happiness and normalcy in his own life. In his own reality.

Miguel listened to every word you had to say, taking it more into consideration than he would have if it were someone else. As he continued to sit close to you, listening to your sweet voice, he felt his heart swell before realizing he was in deep trouble.

He was in love with you.

===

The key to all heaven is mine.

This mission was a shitshow.

Three Green Goblins, all from different dimensions, combined forces to try and carry out their mission here in your dimension. Even with Miguel’s help, you struggled to do your song and dance, and once your position was revealed way too early, you had to call for backup.

It was barely enough.

Jess and Peter B. were an enormous help, but the anomalies were too erratic with their movements; their lack of coordination, unfortunately, proved to be a solid strategy against the spiders. Miguel told everyone to split up and try to drag the Green Goblins away from one another, so you quickly got the attention of one and tried to maneuver them away. With your abilities, you normally relied on stealth to carry you through a mission; unfortunately, you were forced to face this villain head-on. Jessica was handling the one on the left, while Miguel and Peter were farther down the street.

It hurt like hell. You had been knocked into a building one too many times for your liking, but honestly, your pride was more bruised than your body. Thankfully, your little shadow disappearing act came in handy, allowing you to web your green fucker up nicely between two tall buildings. Admiring your handiwork for a mere second, you had to act fast and trap him before assisting the others.

"Watch out!" Miguel screamed from down the block, his voice practically vibrating the space around you. Quickly, you turned around as you saw a large shadow loom over your head, far too close for your liking. It was a semi.

Son of a—

===

Miguel watched from afar as the semi-truck crashed directly where you stood with a chilling crunch. His heart dropped to the bottom of his chest, and his eyes were fixed on the crash site.

He didn’t see you leave on time.

At that moment, something crushed inside of him; the adrenaline in his body pumped faster, and the ringing in his ears grew louder. His mind had forgotten about the mission. He couldn’t, not when you were...

He needed to get to you now. His senses slowly came back to him, but the weight in his chest still hung heavy.

"Fuck!" he cried, swinging to your location as fast as he could, not hesitating to start dragging the semi with all of his strength. Jessica and Peter came to assist as soon as they captured their anomalies; they couldn’t waste a second knowing that their teammate had been hurt, or worse.

Together, they pulled the semi away to reveal nothing.

You weren’t there.

Miguel was frantic. His eyes scanned the surrounding area, looking for a trace of your white suit. Still nothing. He called your name. His vision was blurred. He couldn’t find you anywhere. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t even think. He called your name again.

Jess placed a hand on Miguel’s shoulder. He tensed at the contact.

"You keep searching for them. Peter and I will take care of the anomalies. Breathe, Miguel," she urged, trying to soothe the man who was losing himself in the depths of his mind. Her words meant nothing to him, not when he couldn’t even think straight. Despite his scattered mind, his eyes caught something—the white that had brought him so much comfort these past several months.

There, under the shadow of the semi, you emerged, a little roughed up but otherwise fine. You were alive.

"I’m sorry," you panted as you took off your mask. "Even in the shadows, I couldn’t find a way out from under the—"

He didn’t let you finish.

Moving quickly toward you, he took off his mask and pulled you tight against him. Arms wound around you in a tender, shaking embrace. He pressed his chest up against yours, desperate to feel your heartbeat and to give him more assurance that you were alive.

"Miguel?" you spoke, your voice soft as you were unable to do anything but hold him. "I’m sorry, did I scare you? I didn’t have time to swing out, so I had to go under." You pulled back slightly, feeling resistance from Miguel’s hold on you. Noticing the tears building up in his eyes that were looking through you, you placed a hand on his cheek. "Hey," you consoled, bringing him back to the present. "I’m okay."

Finally, he met your eyes fully, taking a couple controlled deep breaths like he had been practicing in the therapy sessions you urged him to go to. His hand came up to grasp the one on his cheek. He never wanted to go through this feeling again. He never wanted to let you go.

"Yeah…" he trailed, "I’m sorry I—" he sighed—"I didn’t mean to overreact like this. It’s just—"

"No," you asserted, not allowing him to downplay his emotions. "You didn’t overreact. I would have done the same thing if this had happened to you. Please don’t apologize." He hummed at your words, a small smile growing on his face. Turning his head, he kissed the inside of your palm; your heart fluttered at the contact.

"Cariño, you’re too good for me."

You smiled, your face heating up at his sudden affection. This man made your heart swoon over the simplest of things, and you made his heart go crazy. You both wanted more from each other, but you knew it was going to take time. It was going to take healing. As long as he continued to hold you with such tenderness and love that you could not compare, you knew you wouldn’t mind the wait. For now, though, you two would go back to HQ, side by side, and continue to save the multiverse.

You’ve waited this long to find someone you can be at peace with; a little more time wouldn’t hurt anybody.

===

My heart has wings.

And I can fly.

Exhausted couldn’t even begin to describe the state that you were in. The juggling act you had been doing for about a year now had started toppling over. Your work had gotten sloppy; you were constantly missing your targets on missions and somehow portaling to the wrong dimensions. The worst was when you nearly showed up late to a trial at work. Despite teetering on the edge of insanity, you still willed yourself to go to HQ, as you craved the comfort your friends could provide simply by talking to you. Even if it was during a mission.

This mission in particular was your breaking point.

It was just you and Miguel. The two of you were in a dimension you couldn’t remember the name of while fighting the next villain of the week. The sun was still shining brightly out on a Sunday afternoon, and it seemed like this earth was having a peaceful day until a comic book Prowler came crashing in.

The usual song and dance were done, and the Prowler was contained and ready for the Go-Home-Machine. There were a few minor flukes along the way, like missing a couple of webs and not having enough energy to stay inside a shadow for very long. All of which Miguel lightly scolded you for, but you found it to be more out of concern for your well-being than out of anger.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t take a nice, long break. There wasn’t a time in your life when you could relax for hours on end or do nothing for a whole weekend. There were always some tasks you had to do: grocery shopping, night patrolling, taking your car to the shop, missions, cases, house cleaning, laundry, and the list goes on and on and on. It was ruthless and never-ending.

"It’s still pretty early," Miguel noted as he picked up the unconscious Prowler. "How about we grab some lunch when we head back?" You weren’t focused on him, though.

The fight had taken place at a nature center with beautiful forestry and vast trails throughout the area. Your enhanced senses picked up on someone in the distance in the parking lot.

You.

A version of you who was getting out of the same car you drove. Eyebags were nonexistent. Your body glowed and radiated with energy and joy. It was like looking at the sun. There you were, happy, content, and normal, hanging out with friends on a Sunday afternoon in a nature center. You held no secrets about a double life. No hint of exhaustion. There is no looming worry about upcoming stress.

This version of you was living the life you dreamed of while you lived like this. Not living one life, but three.

Your eyes grew wet as your breathing slowed. All this suffering. All this exhaustion. What was it all for? You couldn’t tear your eyes away from yourself.

"Hey!" Miguel called out, noticing your lack of response. "Are you all right?" You couldn’t hear him. While you were wearing your mask, he recognized the symptoms and noticed your labored breathing. "Cariño—" he said, placing his free hand around your shoulder—"regresa a mí." He followed your gaze and saw what had shut you down. His heart sank. He knew all too well how you were feeling. "Let’s go."

Gently, he guided you back through the portal, dropping you off at his office for a quick moment while he took care of the anomaly. You sat on his new, non-swivel chair and stared at the multitude of holographic monitors showcasing all around HQ. All these different Spider-people, laughing and communicating as if they’ve gotten a good night's rest, as if they can guarantee one square meal a day. What were you doing wrong?

You bit the inside of your cheek as the envy bubbled within you.

Why did you have to get bitten?

A warm hand on your shoulder halted your thoughts. You turned your head to see Miguel standing over you, his eyes holding an empathy that could make you melt if you weren’t tipping over the edge of your mentality.

"I’m sorry," you murmured, taking a breath. "I shouldn’t have reacted like that in front of civilians. It wasn’t very professional of me." Allowing yourself to embrace his comfort, you placed your hand over his. In return, he grabbed your hand and kneeled in front of you.

"I know we joke about our terrible work-life balance, but I’d rather see you happy and healthy than make jokes about your misery." You managed a small smile.

"Being funny is my charm. The misery comes with it."

"But having you in my life is a charm I never want to lose," he argued, not wanting to feed into your humor. "I know how much seeing something like this can hurt you, so please talk to me."

You trusted Miguel with your life, so you opened a part of your heart to him. A part that buried your burdens with each passing second because you worked for others and not yourself. The part that people hide from others to give the impression that they had their whole lives life together. Because if you didn’t, then you were incapable. Then you weren’t strong enough. Then, you weren’t worthy of a title you didn’t ask for but would still die on a hill defending the name.

You were incapable of living three lives, yet didn’t you just start out with one? What happened to that one?

Avoiding his gaze, you looked down at your interconnected hands. Unable to look at him without shedding tears, you flooded him with three different worlds. Your worlds.

He rubbed small circles into the palm of your hand, mesmerized by the weight of your hand against his. He wished he could hold it forever. How he wished he could take away the pain that was destined to fall on you. The feeling of your hands intertwined was one that he wished would take root and grow—a touch that was fairly unfamiliar to him yet one that he found himself craving desperately. Without a complaint, he absorbed every word you spoke like a sponge, knowing full well how you had dropped everything to do the same to him, his heart aching at every self-deprecating comment you made.

He understood where you were coming from. The worthlessness you felt as you wondered what it was that you were doing wrong. He also knew now that it's harder to see the ocean when you’re the one drowning in it. It was going to take time, just like how he was learning to forgive himself, but he’d help you through your struggles the same way you did with him: by providing patience, care, and normalcy.

When you eventually came to the end of your stressed ramble, he watched you take a shaky breath before he placed his hand on your cheek.

"I know you’ve already told me this once, but you deserve to be happy in your own life, and you will find it. You’re not weak for wanting to take on less responsibility or for wanting to be normal." He wiped a stray tear that was falling down your cheek, noticing the buildup of tears glazing over your eyes. "You and I both know that what you’re doing isn’t manageable, but I want you to know that I am here for you. I… I want us to be as normal as we can be as Spider-people, and we can do it together, okay?

The tears bundled in the corners of your eyes flowed freely down the wet tracks on your face. Trying desperately to take a breath—a breath meant to calm you and help clear your head—got caught in your throat.

You sobbed.

You sobbed like you had just lost your uncle, like you did when the captain of the police force (one of your closest friends) died. You sobbed like you did after a month of being Moon-Spider, except now you weren’t alone.

Miguel wrapped his arms around you and pulled you down to join him on the platform, on stable ground, as he rubbed your back and let you have your long-overdue breakdown. Though your mind was scattered, your heart was set here with Miguel. No matter what, being your dimension’s masked hero was a title you would hold with pride, and you refused to hang your cape even if it killed you. Yet not all your lives revolved around the mask.

When Miguel calmed you, he reluctantly said his goodbyes as you insisted on going back to your own dimension. You weren’t going to sit here anymore and cry; with a newfound freedom, you went home.

You took on no new clients.

Finished your cases.

And quit.

===

I’ll touch every star in the sky.

So this is the miracle,

Everyone had their own nickname in the Spider Society. After a year of being members, you and Miguel were crowned the "work spouses." It started off as a joke.

"Hey, your work husband is mad again. Do you mind talking to him, please?"

"Miguel! Where did your work spouse run off to now?"

Now, it wasn’t really a joke. After everything you two had done for one another, how could someone not fall in love?

===

That I’ve been dreaming of.

"Break?" Miguel offered after the now-paralyzed anomaly was safely captured. You agreed, stretching your arms above your head to look at the sky. Despite it being around six in the morning, it had begun to lighten up. Together, you picked out the highest rooftop you could find and swung up to take your usual five(ish) minute break. Side by side, you sat, enjoying each other’s company and having idle chit-chat.

For once, this break wasn’t a desperate attempt to switch off a light bulb that’s been shining for far too long. After quitting your job over a month ago, life became much more bearable. There was still a long road ahead to unstick the pessimistic mindset you had grown comfortable with, but being able to breathe without the resistance of stress on your shoulders outweighed the costs. You were still missing something, though: peace. A type of peace that was so close to you that you could hold its hand. A type of peace that was so handsome that sometimes you found yourself blushing. You wanted that peace, and peace wanted you. It wasn’t enough to be friends with it anymore.

"Miguel?" you said softly, moving your hand to press up against his. "Can I ask you something?"

Miguel placed his hand on top of yours.

"Sure."

You took a moment before responding.

"What am I to you?"

His hand practically froze on top of yours as he turned to look at you, the gears turning in his head.

"We’re… friends."

You scoffed, but there was no malice behind it and gestured at your hand intertwined with his.

"Do you really call this ‘friends’?"

"Okay. Close friends."

"Miguel."

Nervous about the confrontation, he stood up abruptly and headed toward the unconscious anomaly, ready to head back to HQ.

"I don’t think we should mess with what we have now," he lied straight through his teeth, not wanting to look at you in fear he would fold. You stood up after him, slightly shocked at his response but not wanting this conversation to run away.

"Am I just a work spouse to you?"

"Now you know that you are more than that to me," Miguel scolded as he turned and pointed a finger at you, upset that you would think such a thing.

"Then why don’t you want to show me? Treat me the way I want to treat you? I don’t want to keep acting like this knowing that I love—"

"Fuck, I’m scared!" His voice raised slightly as he cut you off, his heart pounding at your near confession. You froze, recognizing the look in his eyes, but still pushed to ask:

"Why? What makes you so scared to be with me?"

"How every time I start feeling excited about my future, how I start feeling excited with you, it goes terribly wrong. I’m scared it's all going to crumble. No quiero perderte, amor. If something bad happens to you, I just— It would be my fault!"

His words sat in the air. This behavior was familiar. It was the same ocean, just a different person drowning.

"And if you were to get hurt…" you cautioned as you carefully chose your words, not wanting this to become an argument, "…would it be my fault?" Miguel opened his mouth, but you refused to let your words go unsaid. "If I were to feel loved and safe with you, would it be my fault or yours? You can’t control the actions of others, Miguel, but you can control yourself and how you respond to others." You sighed as you gazed at him with those worried eyes he loved so much. "Miguel I thought you were working on this," you said, referring to the therapy sessions he had taken in the past.

"I have—chingado—lo siento!" He cursed, trying to remedy the situation. "I swear I’ve been. It’s just… I love being with you, but I’m worried that if you get too close, you’ll get hurt. Having that normal life, it feels unnatural to me."

"In the year I’ve known you, I have never gotten hurt because of something you've done," you refuted, refusing to let him compare this situation to what had happened with his daughter. You walked closer to him and reached out to hold his hands. "I understand why you’re nervous, but this is different. We are different. It’s your own happiness. It’s your own life, and it hurts watching you try and punish yourself for living it. You’re not a bad person, Miguel."

Unable to form words of his own, he pulled your intertwined hands toward him and wrapped his arms around you, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

"You don’t understand how good you are to me," he sighed as he embraced your comfort. You move your arms around him, allowing yourself to sit in this temporary peace for a moment. When you felt he was calm, you spoke again.

"Do you feel ready to be in a relationship right now?"

He was hesitant to answer, but when his head was above the water, he knew denying it would be self-sabotage.

"Only if it’s with you."

Your face heated up; you were constantly at the mercy of Miguel O’Hara’s words.

"We can take things slow. It’s not like I have much experience with relationships either, you know? So, if there’s anything you ever wanna do or try, just ask. Just stay with me, and I’ll stay with you."

Miguel hummed, and you could feel a smile forming on his lips in the crook of your neck. Slowly, he moved his head to face you, leaving a mere few inches between you two.

"Can I kiss you?" With your breath now hitched, all you could do was nod before he closed the gap. It was short, sweet, and addicting. He held you tight around your waist, and in return, you moved your arms around his neck, pulling him in. When you broke apart, who could blame you when you leaned back in for another? Another? Okay, maybe just one more, but you promised it was the last.

Miguel chuckled, finding it in himself to pull away and open his eyes to you. Your pupils were dilated, and your lips were slightly swollen; you were electrifying. He had the urge to finish what he started right there on the rooftop, but you didn’t deserve some quick sex in a random dimension. He’d have to settle with just this for now. Leaning back in, he trailed his lips along your jawline, stopping to leave little pecks along the way. Pecks on your cheek, your nose, your forehead—anywhere he could reach without letting you go.

You couldn’t stop giggling, the light trail of his lips tickling your face. Your heart bloomed with a love for him that could last forever. He leaned away and gazed at you with loving eyes, taking in every little feature that made you who you are. The shape of your lips and how they fit perfectly between his. The curve of your nose as you dragged it across his jaw. The look in your eyes as you looked at him with a love that’s meant only for him.

The sun began peaking over the horizon, shining behind Miguel in blooming shades of yellow and orange. He was so beautiful; his vulnerability and care warmed your soul. He shined a light on your life and helped you learn to grow and to continue to grow together.

Your sun.

From his view, the dark shades of pink, purple, and blue colored the sky. The glittering stars only illuminated your presence in front of him. So pretty, so handsome. You were so perfectly flawed. To hold his heart so gently in fear that someone might come and hurt it. Not you, though; never you.

His moon.

To him, you provided the peace he needed to come to terms with. Someone to help ground him in the quiet hours of the night and show him that comfort was a calm feeling he should indulge in.

Fuck, you were just so—

"I..." he trailed, his throat closing in a nervous tremor. You hummed, urging him to continue as you trailed your fingers up to cup his face in your palms. "I want to be normal with you. Te amo, cariño."

You grinned, the corners of your eyes crinkling.

"I love you," you lilted, giving him another quick peck. "Let’s go be normal together."

So this is love.

{Hope you guys liked it! It's my first try at an x reader. I had two people check over my Spanish, but if there's something that's not right, please let me know!!}

[iceysnow]

Yeah no, where tf is my fic of Invincible ending up in the boy's world in s2 e8 and Homelander saying "Yep, this is my brother/son/colleague". I JUST WANT TO SEE MARK NERVOUSLY LAUGHING AS HOMELANDER LECTURES ON ABOUT BEING GODS.

Mark: Heh well...we're gonna save them now... right...?

Homelander: Y'know, that's the thing we're God's Mark, we don't have to do anything- (delusional lecture)

Mark: (trauma-induced flashback to his dad beating his skull into the side of a mountain)

it doesn't matter which season he spawns in, ANY IS GOOD.

season 1: Mark spawns in and the public goes "Yo, new rando supe just dropped! he claims to be from a diff dimension!". Vought freaks out cause Marks actually doing a good job (better than homelander- looks at a certain flight 👀) AND he doesn't have a chip. they convince Mark to work with them and Homelander adopts befriends him after realizing they basically have the same powers (minus the lazers) and marks 17-18(depending on the season). the boys are trying to figure out his deal before realizing Vought hired a teenage, traumatized, depressed, Alien (????????), Dimensional traveler(Nobody actually believed him), whose dad is a space nazi.

Season 2: similar concept except mark could be found by bought before making his presence in public as a anomaly. he's pushed in to a lot more advertising then he is comfortable as he realizes he's not doing any ACTUAL hero work. Mark gets Omniman vibes off Stormfront. He surprisingly gets along with Ryan. mark interacts with the boys for the first time in the sewers (also his first hint that homelander's a maniac). Yada-yada- THERES SO MUCH MORE TO THIS AU.

season 3: IDC WTF HAPPENS I JUST WANT HOMELANDER GIVING THE OMNIMAN SPEECH AND SOLDIER BOY GROSSING OUT MARK. also, Mark carries the final battle tbh (after a very wet cat esc emotional arc involving his belief in heros.)

i will carry this Au if i have to.

[merlinfromberlin]

Bumblebee & Ratchet Fic Recs

It's my birthday, so let me treat myself (and you) to some of my favourite fanfics exploring the dynamic between Ratchet & Bumblebee in TFP. Because I am a sucker for Ratchet and Bee and Ratchet having a soft spot for Bee.

Bumblebee & Ratchet Fics

Do You Like Bees? by @thinkingheron (Stardustjinn on AO3)

TFP. Ratchet needs a break from his Synth-En project, so Bumblebee takes it upon himself to make it happen. The Team is amused, Ratchet is not, and Bumblebee pays with a scratched paint and a dent. Oneshot. Warning we have an angry Ratchet.

I honestly love this story so much. It's incredibly creative and funny! :3 I love how cheeky and mischievous Bee is. I love how helpless everybody else is to stop his shenagigans. I love that, yeah, he's playing a prank and it's infuriating to Ratchet in the moment, but in the end it's not actually malicious. No one is hurt, it can be reverted easily and Ratchet recharges for a bit.

On another note: this fic is basically canon to me.

If Language Were Liquid by @equivocaleternity (equivocalEternity on AO3)

Bumblebee's voice box is malfunctioning again, and he joins Ratchet and Raf for a perfectly timed lesson on Cybertronian grammar.

This fic just hits all of my boxes: Ratchet, Bumblebee and an super interesting exploration of Cybertronian languages/linguistics/grammar. It's absolutely amazing! :3

Minus One by @gentle-hero-blog (carrot_top_monk on AO3)

A rewrite of the season 3 episode “Minus One”, in which the Autobots’ interrogation of Soundwave goes horribly wrong.

I almost wish that this was canon. It's such an interesting way to explore how Minus One could have gone differently. It's also a super interesting angle at a "Tyger Pax fic". I also honestly love the relationships between Ratchet, Optimus and Bumblebee in this fic so much.

And, maybe most impressively, it made me sympathetise with Smokescreen a little bit more than I did before. I still don't really vibe with him, but I feel like I understand him a little bit better now.

Spark of Courage also by @thinkingheron

TF:Prime, Aligned. Pre Earth. After a surprise Decepticon attack near the Well of AllSparks, Ratchet manages to save a sparkling from near death... or was it the other way around? Origin fic. Rated for mild violence.

Aaaahhh. I don't know how to even describe this fic but I honestly love it so, so much. Bee's immediate attachment to Ratchet is honestly so, so sweet. How Ratchet gets attached to Bee against his will. Bee's sparkling adventures are just absolutely amazing. He's got half the Autbot force exhausted with his shenanigans within the first three days without even trying to. And at the same time he's got all of them wrapped around his little finger. It's honestly one of the best portrayals of Bee I've ever read. I can only aspire to one day write such an adorable, fun and mischievous version of Bee. :3 Also: the background War politics/plot. And, Jazz is in it and he is absolutely glorious.

Honestly can't recommend this enough. <3

Dadchet Fics

Because, for some reason childhood trauma, grumpy old medic dad having a soft spot for his little yellow robot is my greatest weakness.

A glimpse in the Past by arctic_lotus on AO3

When they say you see your children before you die, it isn't always the good memories. ~ Ratchet seems to walk through the events leading to his deepest regret as a recon mission goes up in smoke.

Featuring lots of incredibly sweet vignettes of Bee's and Ratchet's relationship leading up to Tyger Pax. Sparkling Bee is absolutely adorable and Ratchet has a soft spot for him that is bigger than Cybertron itself. It's incredibly sweet. There is also some incredibly heart-warming Optiratch in there. ^^ It's a bit bittersweet but in the best of ways. :3

Autobots, Pass Out! by @yamiquietshadowflo (Quiet_Shadow on AO3)

Ratchet is far too busy and stressed to just drop everything he's doing and go to sleep, even Optimus gives him his best 'So-Disappointed-In-You Look'. Recharge? Who needs that when there is so much to fret about? (Un)Fortunately for the medic, Optimus isn't the type of mech who give up and he's not above for the most underhanded, sneaky tactic at his disposition: Sending in Bumblebee and Raf.

Adorable. Funny. Sweet. :3 I love that Ratchet knows exactly what Bee and Raf are doing, but is absolutely helpless to it anyways. Absolutely adore that it is implied that, now that this has happened once, Bee will keep making it happen. They deserve their cuddles. Optimus is absolutely hilarious, too. :D

Napping Spot by @keef-a-corn (Keef_A_Corn on AO3)

I have a soft spot for Bee and Ratchet. Sometimes you just gotta hold your little Bee. It's short and cute. I have nothing else to say.

Honestly, this is just utterly adorable. 10/10. Could read it every five minutes. I should probably read it every five minutes.

Promises and Failures by @theiceemperor (Windify on AO3)

He’d made up his mind the moment they found out that the scout’s T-Cog was missing. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to fix Bee.

Now this. Whenever I read this story, I just want to shake some sense into Ratchet because he ist just infuriatingly reckless. Because, yeah, he should definitely not have operated on himself and then not told anyone. At the same time, however, I absolutely get why he is doing it. That's his baby boy who's hurting, after all, and there's all that old medic guilt and self-consciousness and love for Bee that drives him to his decision. In the end I'd probably be too much of a sap to wrench him before hugging him. Even if he'd deserve it for endangering himself like that.

I also just love Bee and Ratchet's interaction at the end of the story. That just oozes their love for another. :3

Now go and read at least one of these fics, they are all absolutely amazing.

[shelfthe-reader]

I know I keep saying that I have a gut-wrenching post coming and WHILE THIS IS NOT IT, it’s also pretty sad sometimes. Also spoilers for literally the entire Riordanverse but I doubt that matters y’all saw this for a reason

Now I present:

Percy Jackson Characters as Theater songs: Part 1

Sally: Anybody Have a Map from Dear Evan Hansen. Literally any struggling parent, but ESPECIALLY for Demigods

Percy: 30/90 from Tick, Tick, BOOM. Birthday trauma. The End

Annabeth: Not For the Life of Me from Thoroughly Modern Millie. Aka Annabeth’s need to make a name for herself in TLT

Grover: Will I? from Rent. I’m getting “Searcher’s License” vibes idk.

Tyson: Travel Song from Shrek the Musical: while he was my UNBOTHERED KING in SOM, Annabeth was VERY bothered. It’s those vibes

Thalia: Unprodigal Daughter from JLP. I mean, she ran away for a reason!

Luke: This World Will Remember Me from Bonnie and Clyde. Luke’s delusions were up there with Clyde Barrow’s

Nico: Go Tonight from The Mad Ones. Where was Nico for six months? Grieving Bianca. He was her little shadow and this song captures that

Bianca: This one was kinda tricky but No One is Alone from Into The Woods. See: that one scene in BOTL

Will: Those You’ve Known from Spring Awakening. After Manhattan. Grieving literally his entire family (minus Austin and Kayla)

Kayla: Get Down from Six the Musical. It doesn’t match a scene or anything. Just my HC that she would belt this alone in the cabin.

Austin: Papers (Instrumental) from Hadestown. He 1000% would recreate this in the cabin. But not alone. Because he’s just like that

Connor and Travis Stoll: Two Player Game from Be More Chill. The most Bro Song to ever Bro

Clarisse: All I Really Want from JLP. It’s an angry song the end.

Rachel: Daddy Knows Best from Spongebob the Musical. AKA “Daddy Issues: The Musical” aka “Rachel in One Sentence”

Beckendorf: You’ll Be In My Heart from Tarzan. His love for Silena goes beyond the grave

Silena: What do you Do from Water for Elephants. AKA when she realized that Luke is a SCAM

Part two will be Heroes of Olympus characters!

[sweet-honey-tears]

🧸When They’re Dads🧸

Part two —> part one

Characters: Shoto, Izuku, Dabi x GN!Reader

I’m back! This was kinda requested… idk. I went off the rails a bit with this one. Can you tell I love making Dabi save people who have crappy lives? Cause I do…I fucking love the idea…this darker then my past Dad post. SO IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN TOPICS, don’t read Dabis!!! Ideas are always welcomed, I hope you enjoy.!

Warning: Talk/ mention of child abandonment

❄️ Shoto 🔥

“Hey Hello there Little one.”

“You’re beautiful”

Shoto never really saw himself as someone who would have a family. There was a lot of unaddressed trauma that seemed to make any idea of a family impossible. Yet years later, here he is. Holding his 2nd baby boy, swaddled in a baby blue blanket. And 3 years after, Shotos is holding a baby girl.

Her Small hands grasp mindlessly at long strands of red and white mixed hair.

Funnily enough, all three of your children have different colored hair and refer to your husband in different ways. And it’s honestly adorable.

“Daddy”- youngest who has your hair color and two stripes of a lighter color in the front.

“Dad or Dad-da-da”- middle which has a messy yet beautiful mix of red and white hair.

“Dad” -oldest stark white hair.

Your two boys have found their main priority to be their little sister. After a quirk incident when she was 5- her quirk formed in school- and she started to get bullied. When Shoto was about to step in, his sons did it for him. Quietly and  subtly. Threatening the other children with the fact their father was a hero. And their little sister was just as powerful as him. You both do end up talking to them but still… it was fricken adorable

Shoto smiles the day he sees his two sons holding each of their sister's hands, guiding her through the pickup zone to find him.

Shoto doesn't push his kids into anything- encourage, yes.

Shoto is the kind of dad who doesn’t force his kids into any activities. He will offer the idea of his kids doing something but never force them. He will heavily encourage them when they find their passion. Acting like the proudest dad in the world when his little girl does her first solo in dance or his middle gets into the art show. It’s all a big achievement.

You know that whole middle child disappears minds thing? - yeah not a thing. Each child is even, no one is a favorite and NO ONE IS IGNORED.

You’re children know who Toya is- though they don’t really know who Dabi is. Minus that he and their father have a history. But stuff happened…

It happened slowly, the mention of ‘the man’ a walk with your daughter turned to her her talking about her day happily.

“I talked to a nice man! He has fun piercing and he kinda looked like Daddy”

You tell Shoto. Both extremely fearful.

Your middle child comes home one day with a black ring on his finger, his name- which seems to be carefully burnt into it, is written on the name.

Then your oldest, for his birthday got his ears per coed . And not soon after, a small box was left on your porch. “Sorry, I’m late kid.” A pair of white piercings rested inside.

Time passes, and you both notice how the villain Dabi seems to disappear from the news. And the visited from Touya becomes more stagnant. And a few years later, a polorde of a baby girl finds its way to your house… she wrapped in a dark purple blanket. Small horns poking out from her hair. A happy smile on her face… she’s adorable

There is little to no contact with Shotos farther.

They call Izuku- “Uncle Zoo”

🪴 Izuku 🪴

“We’re having a baby!” He starts crying- bawling really!

My man doesn’t care about gender or shit- they are getting All Might stuffy, and there are gonna be pro hero p posters in that nursery. The kid will have a room designed for them, and the minute your child says they have a new hobby, Izuku is on it. He’s buying stuff and researching. Watching videos on how to support your little boy in learning this new American sport he found. And later on, he’s sitting down watching hours upon hours of videos on hair for your little girl.

He also keeps his old hero journals, your children love to look through them. Talking as they mostly look at the pictures in the books.

“Un Might!” Your little girl yells

“Uncle All Might!”

Your children referred to All Might as their uncle almost as soon as they were born. Toshi appears at random for parties and school pick-ups whenever he can. And Izuku can’t lie, it’s fucking awesome.

Inko also is always in and out of your house- she lives rather close actually (courtesy of Izuku wanting to make sure his mother is comfortable and never lonely- she’s a god send when you both need a brake!!).

Izuku knows he can’t always be there, especially with being the new 1 one hero- so it’s no surprise for him to video call and talk to you all.

“I miss you all so much.”

“We miss you too Dad.” Oldest

“Miss ew oo!” Your baby girl babbles, her fingers grasping onto the Pro Hero Deku plushies.

Both kids own one. These are special though, there’s a little voice box built with the toys. Every time the kids squeeze the hand a little message comes out.

“I love you”

There’s a small one of him singing. Telling a short story.

Your Lock Screen is of your two kids opening up the present. Your son looks a bit confused holding up the stuffy while your daughter is already squeezing the toy and giggling. Your husband is standing nervously to the side with a hand on his neck. A somewhat worried but hopeful expression on his face. A large but sweet smile there too.

Izuku doesn’t care if his kids have quirks or not, he’ll love them unconditionally. He’s already taught them how they have a place in the world if they do or don’t have a quirk. How they are no different and just as special.

I imagine the two of you fight over your baby’s first words.

“It’s gonna be Mama/Dadda/Preference”

“No, It’s gonna be BaBa or Zoo”

And then you both look over at your baby babbling and go running over and you just hear an “Ight.” Does that count? No- you won’t count it but you look over at Izuku and this man’s eyes are stars.

“Izuku no-“

“First words”

“ZooZoo no.”

“All Might” he whispers out. And you just smile and shake your head. No, it’s not gonna count, but to Izuku it kinda does.

“Uncle Baky!”

“Unky Shoe!”

“Un’ id-E-uh”

“Auntie Ouch!”

Yes, Bakugou is considered their uncle.

🔥Toya/Dabi🔥

Dabi found your daughter in an abandoned house. Her cries led him to her. She was in the bare minimum for clothes, shivering at the cold air that burst through the broken house. Small arms swung in discomfort at the cold as Dabi approached. Your adopted daughter had small horns at the top of her head. And when her eyes caught Dabi’s, his breath left his chest. Big eyes that were a vibrant blue, almost glowing.

“Holy shit.”

Dabi leaned down and swaddled her in his coat, his quirk activating slightly to try and chase her shivering away. “Shh. Shhh. It’s okay, I got you.” His deep voice rumbled.

He’s the kind of dad that feels like he ain’t really- like it’s supposed to be. He’s like that boyfriend of a single parent- the father figure who’s always there for your kid but isn't the legal father. And when someone brings it up to him, he gets awkward and doesn’t know how to answer. But he’s there at every baseball game and there for the first breakup and graduation.

Dabi doesn’t have much to prepare him for suddenly adopting a child. But he did remember it when the others were little. Watching the adults take care of them all growing up. Watching his mother and sister.

He’s the first to wake up when your daughter starts crying at night. He is already halfway off the bed by the time you open your eyes.

“I got it, Doll.” He rumbles

You sneak into the room, finding him holding your swaddled daughter, her little hands grasping at his sleep shirt. A rumbled voice filled the air.

“The monstersare gone. He’s on the run and your daddy’s here.” His rumbled voice.

Dabi doesn’t say he can sing, he denies he can, but he can. And he only will for your daughter. No. Not even you, just for her. His voice is rough, like really gravely but calming.

He carefully rocks her, the street light illuminating the two of them just perfect to catch both their smiles.

“Beautifull, beautiful, beautiful. Beautiful girl”

He trains his daughter, ensuring she can handle herself in the world. She knows basic ways to defend herself and fight back.

Dabi also take a huge step back from the villain life. The public even takes notices because of the drop.

Dabi doesn’t tell her about her Uncles or Aunts, she finds them one day.

You and your toddler were at the park. You had always had your face covered during attacks. So unlike Dabi, Shig or Toga, you can go into public with no mask or anything. Your sweet daughter was swinging, the evening sky coming to a close. That’s when it happens, you hear someone clear their throat and look up to see Shoto standing there. His eyes are on your daughter.

“Can I help you?” Your tone came off defensive.

“Mama/Pappa/preference, he looks like daddy!” Your toddler happily stated. Oblivious to the tension in the air.

“You must be Da-Toya’s partner.” You pulled your daughter from the swings, pushing behind you, eyes narrowing sharply. “Toya sent a photo a year or two back” Shoto smiles “she’s beautiful” You’re almost confused- you remember when Toya sent the picture, but still. That was years ago. “My youngest made these for you,” he reaches far into one of his pants pockets slowly, and you watch him intensely. Half ready to have your daughter run to the meeting point if this goes south. But Shoto fishes around for a secound more before smiling, apparently finding the object. He pulls out a ziplock bag of string bracelets. They’re slightly knotted together, but otherwise fine. “She made them a few months ago- when Toya dropped off a present for her… I told her I'd pass them to you if I find you.”

And that’s how unofficially-officially play dates between your daughter and Shotos three children started.

And soon, your daughter ‘magically’ met Fuyumi and Natsuo and then Rei. With Toya hidden in the background of course

@thrivingaintmything

[punkeropercyjackson]

Minus the 'Hero of the Great Prophecy' copout,Luke Castellan is such a well-written villain because he's so real.Not sympathic but that he's so awful in the way so many real cishet white men in power are and historically have been always been.Luke is a fascist.He's a misogynist.He's a racist.He's even a serial pedophile

Luke started grooming Silena before the series even started by taking advantege of her crush on him by flirting with her because girls that age don't know any better,oh he's different,we're different.He had the effect on Annabeth too but much stronger due to being her older brother figure and pseudo-dad,raising her since she was 7 and confessed to her at 16,on his deathbed,due to wanting to haunt and have power over her ONE last time.He wanted her to know what he'd thinking the whole time he was pretending to see her platonically.Thalia was 2 years younger than him pre-tree and he still liked her at 15 to his 20s.I'd go as far as to do a Lolita comparison,with Thalia's death giving him that little girl fixation to 'replace' her and let's not forget that while Kelli's age isn't stated,she passed as Percy's classmate when Percy was 14 and wasn't even technically a high schooler and there's no mention of no Mist Kelli showing her as older.It's implied he straight up SLEPT with her and maybe even did it multiple times judging by how long she was in the Titan's Army.She was also the only black girl member and that's absolutely relevant

And he was way closer to the Stolls than he was Chris but targeted him,the mestizo boy,even though Travis and Connor would've been easier to get to join him.The first camper he killed was Beckendorf and he gaslight Silena into thinking he wouldn't only for Beckendorf to be have been only a tool to him.He had zero respect for Ethan,the japanese/wasian boy,and unless you count Alabaster from the side books,the named Titan's Army's male members were all boys of color.The named girls were the lil white girl he hit on to fuck it up for everyone and the ambigiously aged but young looking black girl he made his bedmate because he saw her as a sexual being unlike her.Everybody likes saying he was so obsessed with Percy because he was in love with Percy and use it as ship fuel but the real concrete subtext is that he only saw Percy as an equal because they were both intended as white men.This is really the only logical explanation as really,the guy you knew for not even three months over your years long companions??????Who just so 'happen' to be girls.Luke was NOT slick!!

The Titan's Army is a military by definition.It's an army,the members are soldiers,they were created for the The Second Titan War.A war Luke started over personal trauma for vengeance and openly stated he dosen't care if he hurts anyone(see his Good Kid Reprise)for his own goals and functions on a cryptofash ideal('destroying society to built it from the ground up' and see his Good Reprise again but the last three lyrics specifically).Luke believes himself superior to everyone because he 'sees the truth' but perpetuates the cycle of abuse with it and does nothing to fix society,help the people he's the 'Champion' for or even to depower the high authority.He kisses up to an EVEN HIGHER and also WORSE authority to get power for HIMSELF!He wants to be a gods stand-in,not their opposite and that's why he treated everyone like shit.His speeches?That was propaganda on his part,not radicalization.'Western civilization is a disase'says the cishet physically abled blue eyed blonde white man who's constantly described as traditionally attractive after he groomed a HUGE chunk of troubled kids i.e minority kids who get abused for it no matter how hard they try to be good,because THAT'S what Percy meant when he said he was a troubled kid in The Lightning Thief-it's an insult and he was reclaiming it as a lower class audhd survivor of multiple kinds of abuse.He truly believed he was 'not like other half-bloods' and that everything he did was a means to an end when he meant to end it all for everyone,not be a saviour

As a biracial afrolatina who has multiple neurodivergent disorders including autism and with bpd and ptsd,is transgender and gendernonforming and was raised by the VERY white side of his family,i'm genuinely impressed with how good of commentary Luke works as on white supremacy and accompanying bigotries-Yes,misogyny like i said but also ableism/eugenics with his hurtful words directed at Tyson who's implied to have Down Syndrome and if memory serves i'm pretty he took a dig at Grover's crutches and possibly even Hephaestus' own physical disability and i'm not exactly sure if i'd say that includes queerphobia on his part but he is a VIOLENTLY cisheterosexual character in his actions so the subtext is pretty obviously there.As discussed by tons of other lgbt Pjo bloggers,Silena and Clarisse are an Achilles and Patroclus parallel and Thalia fits the bill for MANY transfem and alt lesbians norms and a more niche reading is Percy as an accidental transfem narrative that actually holds a lot of water with the most blatant one being her proving to Zoe she's not a normal man at all,which is a constant trait of hers but it was made it a plot point in The Titan's Curse and Annabeth as a comphet butch lesbian thanks to how gay her and Clarisse,Piper and Reyna interact with eachother and while i don't ship Percabeth,transfem Percy and lesbian Annabeth are complimentary in evidence for obvious reasons(even if YOU don't ship Percabeth either!)

Luke Castellan is real.Luke CastellanS are real.The word for them is 'colonizers'.I love how he's written and potrays the ugly truth of whiteness as an intentionally perpetuated structure,not 'the natural order',and i hate how Rick in his own cishet physically abled white maleness couldn't stop being a pussy and let Percy be the anarchist revolutionary to his full potential he deserved to be.Not surprised considering this is the same who disrespects greek culture so hard and has from the start in addition to the very long list of everything else but i'm allowed to still be dissapointed and wish Pjo had been thought up by an autistic black person since that's what Percy is realistically supposed to be so write what you know principal would've helped big time.Luke Castellan is sympathic and relatable if he's the only kind of person you think deserves sympathy and chances but not anyone else out of your own sheltered experiences

[pervysenpaix]

Can you do something with Kaminari? Really anything, I’ve been feeling shitty and I need a distraction

Hello, nonnie. I’ve been having a tough time too; wanna talk about it ? m’all soft and sad and normally when i’m like that i wanna write boys being mean cause ✨trauma✨. So how about I continue my little bully!kaminari au minus the piss kink cause i dunno if you’re into that. I hope terribly written psuedocomfort porn makes you feel better; if it tickles your pickle pls let me kno cause praise kink 🥺

Pairing | Denki Kaminari X Black Reader

TW!DubCon, Bullying, Degradation, Praising, Comfort , Chubby Reader , College AU— so quirks exist but UA is a university. , All characters 22 (senior year).

18+ NSFW content- MDNI

Denki Kaminari is alot of things. He’s incredibly handsome. He’s super popular. He’s a future pro hero.

He’s also bullied you since freshman year.

Typical bully stuff— pulling your hair , bumping into you, making you do his homework, having you bend over so he can fuck your thick thighs since you you’re being so stingy with your virgin cunt.

You know, the usual.

The man is high key obsessed with you but he’s shit at having conversations with girls that go past whether they’re on birth control or not. That’s why he always ended up teasing you until tears pricked the corner of your eyes just to “make it up to you” later.

But there was something different this time.

Usually it’d take a lot more than a whispered “ hey chubs” with a squeeze to the tummy to get the water works started.

“You cryin’?” He spins you around to get a better look at you when he hears a sniffle. Both hands on your cheeks to to pull your face closer to his. You whine in protest as you try to get away but he holds you steady. “Asked you a question, right dummy ?”

His tone holds no malice. Golden eyes brimming with concern. It’s almost tender the way he brushes the tears from your face.

“Just not feeling very good about myself, Kami” you hiccup, locked in place by his crystalline glare.

Denki pouts, hands dropping to your shoulders as he ponders something. Then he repositions one on the back of your neck and pulls you up for a kiss. Soft and sweet making you chase after him when he pulls away.

“Wanna show you something…”

It’s so embarrassing the position that he has you in. Sitting in his lap with your legs thrown over his. Him resting against the headboard with one hand placed on your tummy and the other moving between your thick thighs. He pumps fingers in and out of your heat at a steady pace, pausing ever so often to lap at the sheen coating them. His name falls off your lips in breathy chants, begging him to let you cum. He tsks, pulling his fingers out to slap your cunt. “No, dummy” he sneers, “I’m gonna keep teasing this fat lil pussy until you do as I say”. You groan in aroused frustration— out of all the torturous things he’s done to you, this has got to be the worst. Slowly, you open your eyes and your cheeks are immediately set ablaze as you meet your reflection. You look wrecked. Hair frizzy. Shirt unbuttoned. Panties slipped to the side with pale ringed fingers swiping through your slick. Arousal bloomed in your midsection and you’re panting—desperate for release. “P-please , Kami. I wanna— I need to-..” He shushes you with a kiss behind your ear. “You know what you have to do, babe” he cooed, voice syrupy sweet. “All you have to do is say it”. You bite your lip, stomach churning from the mixture of embarrassment and arousal. With a deep breath you lock gazes in the mirror and whisper “ I’m b-beautiful, smart and capable. Denki’s perfect little chubby b-bunny. The only ….” You pause, thighs trembling as he rolls his thumb over your bundle. “Keep going, dummy” he growls, pinching your clit for emphasis. “T-the only thing that should make me cry is Denki’s fat cock”.

“Good girllll— now cum”.

[sapphic-agent]

Can we talk about Shigaraki for a minute?

In my opinion, I think Shigaraki is a fantastic villain. (Minus when Potato man took over and him being side lined rn.) Shigaraki goes from someone who was stunted in childhood to him being the most fear man in Japan, respects his league, cares for them, ACTUALLY listens to them, and is an actual threat, while making a valid point about Hero Society. Tell me why people read him so... fucking weirdly? People think Shigaraki still suffers from angry outbursts, doesn't give two shits about his league, and games all day. He isn't like that anymore. Dude was literally fucking calm when Toga had a knife at his throat. He lets his team speaks their minds, and gets others' outputs. Like, he DOES change. The reason why Shigaraki acted like a "man child" was because AFO literally stunted his growth on purpose. He had childish behavior because that's a result from trauma. He grows from it, and overcomes it.

Or people making him into an incel is just... gross. Or people just being grossly ablest, too. People being like "lololol Shigaraki is crusty he doesn't take care of himself he smells he's musty" which is... 1.) grossly ablest to people who have eczema/skin disorders. He looks "crusty" because has eczema scars. No amount of shitty, scented lotion will get rid of his scars, 2.) It's clear Shigaraki struggles with depression. Having depression rips you of the energy to do anything. Getting out of bed or showering is hard for some people. Minus this tagent, It really sucks AFO just kind of took over the role of the big bad when Shigaraki kept fucking say it's HIS dream, HIS path. Not AFO's. Even saying he HATED him. Tomura, you deserve better. Both within fandom and canon. 8-9 years of development, and this is what we're getting for the big show down?

I completely agree.

I've touched on this briefly before, but Shigaraki's character progression in Deika City was spectacular. It was great to see him reclaim the power that he was shunned for (and accidentally destroyed his family with) and evolve into a true leader. He was really coming into himself and working towards his own goal. Deika not only carried season 5 (season 5 was soooo bad), but it solidified Shigaraki as one of my favorite anime villains.

And then Horikoshi took away his agency by having AFO snatch his body😐 Him wanting AFO in the first place literally undid all the progress he had just made.

This is what I can't stand about Hori's writing. He'll introduce a character or concept or character concept and then completely disregard it moving forward (quirkless discrimination, corrupt society, quirk marriages, Momo's entire character, etc.). Someone said it in one of my reblogs; the manga introduces a bunch of interesting concepts, Hori just has nothing interesting to say about them.

Tomura definitely cares for the League. He says that what he wants is for his friends to be able to be free to do as they please. He was also infuriated over Magne's death. I think that they make him feel like he belongs and he has people to relate to and look after. He definitely thinks of them as friends

[ojamayellow]

Under the cut, I'll explain all the different canon personalities and relationships of my TFormers sona/OC, Jumpace, aka Jumpy. It (Samurai Jack voice) jump good. It/Its pronouns. Contains spoilers for TFA, CBV and some ES. (Those are in order, so if you wanna avoid some spoilers, they're the last 3 besides Skybound).

Every Jumpace can jump good and do Rider kicks and such. It jumps so high it could punch a Seeker from out of the clouds. This ability makes up for his lack of flight (minus the two universe's where it can fly). Here are visual references. G1 CARTOON.

Alt mode: Sand rail/buggy thing. Weapons: Drill, blasters, its kicking. Kind of your average G1 snarky Decepticon. Sparkmates with Starscream, but during mid-Season 2, he and Starscream have a huge fight (cos now Starscream is getting too ridiculous and selfish) so divorce. Jumpace becomes neutral for a while, but then Cliffjumper notices him and takes in the 'Decepticon prisoner' but a lot happens and Jumpace becomes an Autobot. It then develops a hero complex and believes it must make up for all his sins. Falls for Skyfire.

Decepticon relationships: Liked to hang with Skywarp and Thundercracker, and play pranks with Rumble and Frenzy. Dated Starscream for a very long time. Thundercracker was very "UGH, a GROUNDER whats WRONG with you Screamer" for a while though. Autobot relationships: Likes to spend time with Carly, Beachcomber, Sideswipe and Wheeljack. Cliffjumper is forever suspicious about Jumpace, but they eventually form a sibling bond. Tracks and Sunstreaker dislike Jumpace because of how muddy/sandy it can get. Eventually gets with Skyfire, which is going to be huge once Starscream notices BOTH HIS EXES DATING.

I have an AU where there's peace and the skystars and Jumpace can all date. skyjumpstar. In G1 canon, Jumpace is killed by Starscream in-between the gap of S2 and Movie, so he doesn't exist in the JPN G1 timeline.

GALAXY FORCE.

Alt mode: Some kind of flying machine (jet?) I would love an Armada/Micron Legend Jumpace, but if Starscream had a partner from the start, the show wouldn't last long and Starscream would have less problems. So, in both Galaxy Force (its own universe) and Cybertron (Unicron Trilogy), Jumpace can exist. He is an ancient Decepticon like Thunderblast, revived by Starscream. While he has a cocky attitude, Jumpace is crazy devoted to Starscream, similar to Thunderblast's affection for Megatron. That's all I got, really.

ANIMATED.

Alt mode: Mini Cooper. Weapons: Instead of stingers like Bee, drills in servos. Detachable back rails to use as...idk, batons? This Jumpace is a nyehehe villain, coming into play mid-Season 2 when it crashes onto Earth after being separated from Screamy for so long! See, back pre-plot, Starscream was forced to train this new grounder recruit (UGH) but somehow (dw it makes sense in my Documents) they got closer and are a couple ("You should be honoured to court such a fine bot like myself!"). At one point, the jumpstar (ship name) went on their own mission without per-mission (haha) and discover a Space Bridge. Jumpace activates it but it goes haywire, sending Jumpace halfway across the galaxy, with the space bridge deactivating for good. Jumpy ends up in Trypticon Prison for YEARS and made a few escape attempts, but eventually does succeed, steals a ship and ends up on Earth. Starscream finds him and the two are like... !?!?!?!?!?? And end up (grossly) lovey-dovey for like, a week ("Huh I wonder why we haven't seen Starscream since those two clones") and then they get back to their original relationship: Cartoony slapstick couple. Like, funny arguments only to make out? Does this make sense to anyone? They do genuinely care but they're also both selfish.

Though, when Jumpace can't feel the warmth of Starscream's spark, its like "YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU DIED? YOU IDIOT" (STARTS TO BEAT HIM UP). <-Again, cartoony slapstick. Please don't label this as abuse. Also, Jumpace has trauma from being confined and space bridges! I don't agree with most of Season 4's would-be plots, but my idea for Starscream revival is this; Slipstream approaches Jumpace and Starscream's shell, and Jumpace literally begs (rarity for it) Slipstream to give STSC a piece of Allspark Fragment, and in return, Slipstream doesn't have to follow Starscream's orders, she can be her own bot! Just please! And well, Starscream real and Slipstream flies off to do her own thing.

Relationships: If you know the Starscream clones, I'm sure you can expect their attitudes towards Jumpace. Thundercracker's ego makes him think he's better suited to be Jumpace's partner. Sunstorm is a suck-up. Ramjet lies, you know the dealio. I'm not sure how, but I want Jumpace to meet Blackarachnia and fall for her charms to do her bidding. Jumpace hates any and all Elite Guard and obviously Autobots, but mostly Elite Guard. Makes fun of Masterson a lot. I do want him to have fun interactions with the Autobots, and have a bit of a soft spot for Ratchet after he healed it.

Oh! I have a Shattered Glass version for TFA Jumpy! Basically "wow my hero!" at Starscream who's like ":)??" about it.

CYBERVERSE.

Alt mode: Once Cybertronian grounded vehicle, then fucked-up part Seeker thanks to Shockwave's fixer upper. <-Similar to Shadow Striker's ordeal, basically Jumpace needed medical attention and instead got SHOCKWAVE'D. Weapons: 'Drill Missile', Blasters.

This Jumpy...is a no-brained puppydog-like devotee to Starscream. Like, Galaxy Force Jumpy with the flying alt mode and devotion, but more rose-tinted shades Up to 11 and ":3!" moods. Happily does whatever Starscream says, clings to him, etc (a big ego booster for Starscream for sure!). But during Starscream's "the ancients say I should kill everyone :D" moment, Jumpy gets scared, especially during the Allspark fuckery of killing the Seekers. Starscream promises that Jumpace will be the last to go into the Allspark, but luckily the Autobots come in and save the day.

Eventually, the whole 'killing everyone' thing and eventually Judge Starscream freaked out Jumpy, so it became mute for a while after Starscream was out of the picture. It stuck with Clobber and became an Autobot like she did. She would try her best to get Jumpy to socialise with others like Hot Rod, and Jumpy would express emotion, but grew unable to talk. However, it took a glance at...JETFIRE, DOING SUCH AN ELEGANT AND AMAZING HEROIC POSE!! Jumpy became fascinated with this Autobot, how... stunning! It was just staring and Jetfire was like "Oh! Hello there!" and... Jumpy became a puppydog again but less so this time, because he wouldn't do things with no brain, he'd actually instead just ask "May I help you with xy?" oh, he also managed to speak again. Because its in looooooove. That's right, skyjump real.

Relationships: Good pals with Thundercracker (rip) and Clobber! Use to be best buds with Whirl before the war. Sparkmates with Starscream before THAT happened. Ends up with Jetfire. (Who, btw, I wouldn't mind if he was also dating Sky-Byte post-war). Jumpace wanted to get along with Shadow Striker, especially due to their similar circumstances, but Shadow Striker only got softer for Jumpace closer to series end. (And yes, I like to picture safe skyjumpstar here as well).

EARTHSPARK.

Alt mode: Modern dune buggy. Weapons: Batons, its fists and kicks <-More of a brawler type here. So, Jumpy here felt bad for Starscream due to Megatron's beatings but also admired his intensity, so during the war (back on Cybertron) he would bug him constantly like "are you okay?" and also "can you teach me to fight better" as a way to help Screamer, but also just wanting to be closer with him. I addressed this better in my fanfic but I'm lazy to double check. He starts of warm and naive at first in the Decepticons, then a cocky fighter, similar development to TFA Jumpace. But they get together, but Starscream kept it secret for a while because he didn't want to be seen as weak for 1. having a sparkmate and 2. courting a GROUNDER.

My plot with him was that during the war on Earth, he 'died', causing Starscream distress before he 'moved on', so when they reunite, (my fic was set before Season 2 but after Season 1) Starscream is angry-confused because oh surely this means Jumpace LIED and is A TRAITOR (Okay, Starscream). Spoilers for fic if anyone cares, but after much commotion and Malto help, they get back together.

Essentially, thanks to being taken in by a human (as a regular car), Jumpace engaged in many hero shows and started to mimic their poses and even yells "TRANSFORM" when transforming. (Nerd). It is also fascinated with bugs and arachnids, so you bet your sweet bippy it's obsessed with Insecticons and organic bugs. It's a soft side of ES!Jumpy.

But Jumpace hates harming young ones, Cybertronian or other. So if it sees what Starscream did to Spitfire and Aftermath, it will FREAK OUT. It's probs with Shockwave and the others around that point, but holy Hell. Also, Spitfire having similar colours to Jumpace kills me a bit but she's still so fucking awesome I LOVE YOU SPITFIRE.

Relationships: Starscream. But who knows how long that will last considering Season 2? She's so hot but god dammit I SPECIFICALLY HAD JUMPACE NOT WANTING TO HARM KIDS. Oh, I also had him develop a sort of 'bond' with Thrash Malto, but later realises that Jumpy will have to betray the Maltos at some point. Hey, Jumpy doesn't like physically harming them, so betrayal is fine, right? It doesn't like Megatron all too much, feels offended about him 'joining the Autobots'. Acts like its better than Nova Storm and Skywarp, but likes them. Likes to brawl with Hardtop. Oh! And despite him not really...existing except that tiny bit in Earthspark, Jumpace is Cliffjumper's brother! Aha! Callback to G1 where I said they grow a sibling relationship, except this time they're on different sides! I want them to be sibs in other universes too, but I would need to actually engage in those universes. Other than Skybound, I'm not touching any more Transformers for a while. Speaking of...

SKYBOUND.

Basically G1 Jumpace. However, my options are either 1. Killed in Cliffjumper's clan. 2. Wasn't activated on the Ark 3. WAS activated, but because of Starscream's...yeah, disaster unfolds. And might switch to Autobot? It's hard to say, but the possibilities are so interesting! So, if you read all this, or part of it, what do you think? I hope all the Jumpys sound 'right', considering they're all different but contain similar elements. I didn't included JPN G1 cos Jumpy dead. Beast Wars because that's Beast Wars. Anything else I simply haven't engaged in yet. (I mean I read a lot of the Marvel Comics run but that's A LOT to think about). But I hope it sounds like a genuine Transformers character.

Unrelated, TF GOGO Jumpy would be so cute. And if Jumpace was a BotBot, he's be Jumpaxle (tech deck skateboard).

[ninjamelissajulien]

you know what- fuck it. TLNM!Lloyd had no reason to apologize to anyone (except possibly koko but thats because he was under so much stress that he didn't see how much of a supporter she was to him). Garmadon was absent in Lloyd's life, even though he somehow had Lloyds phone number (?). Garmadon both verdantly and inadvertently caused so much pain in Lloyds life, even betraying him and leaving him and the other ninja to die in a crumbling temple.

Don't even get me started on the other "ninja". Lloyd canonically built all of their mechs. Lloyd was doing everything he could to not only keep himself sane in a world where everyone hated him, but to undo all of Garmadon's destruction. They should've clearly known how much stress Lloyd was constantly under- with the final straws being told he has no elemental power *in a world where elemental power exists*, and was shown this weapon that could end the constant battle for good.

Lloyd was pushed to the brink; being publicly mocked (multiple times) by Garmadon and his army, constantly being mocked, bullied, and punished by his peers/teachers/society around him. And the fact that yeah, Lloyd using the weapon destroyed their mechs and brought Meowthra to the city was not the best thing- THEY FUCKING ABANDONED HIM. BOTH LITERALLY AND VERBALLY. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! "We hate you." "Youre not our friend anymore" you motherfuckers NEVER APOLOGIZED TO HIM. HE WAS FEELING GUILTY ENOUGH.

God i hate that. The fact that out of 17+ seasons, mini movies, books, etc- the REAL Ninjas still stuck by each other. Yeah, they've had their moments of fighting, separation, anger, but never to the point of abandoning family. I don't think, even in season 3/4, Jay ever told Cole that he hated him or that they weren't friends anymore. Cole was more hurt at the sudden change in Jay's behavior towards him than anything (to which, did anyone ever tell Cole what really happened?). Cole didn't want to be around Jay in S4 because of the harassment, not that he didn't care for him anymore. When the time came, the team got back together for Zane. For Nya. For Lloyd.

TLNM!Lloyd had every right to become a villain. Everyone (minus Koko because she's an angel and we're so lucky to have her around) should've apologized TO LLOYD!!!! Even Wu for showing Lloyd all of those weapons that he would never get to use (Because why the fuck would you show a mentally/physically/emotionally stressed/abused 16 year old hero with unresolved trauma weapons that would finish the fight.) He's a child. I'd be surprised if TLNM!Lloyd's hair didn't turn white by 26.

Anyways everyone in TLNM (again, minus Koko) should've apologized to Lloyd rather than blame Lloyd for everything. Lloyd and Koko did nothing wrong and I will murder and die on this hill.

[slitherred]

Humor me for a moment here...

It’s been 9 years and I still believe they should’ve kept Obito alive.

If they can pardon both Orochimaru for his human experimentation, Kabuto for his war crimes, and Sasuke for being a dumbass, they can think of an excuse to make Obito a functioning individual of society and have him face the fact he was the cause of most world-altering events in the span of the entire series. I think killing him is a coward’s way out, and he didn’t deserve the peaceful ending he got.

And Instead of Boruto, we could’ve gotten a series focused on Kakashi in his Hokage era. The man is as popular as Naruto and Sasuke, and I’m tired of anime shows that base sequels on the “new generation.” It’s been done too many times. I believe Kakashi is beloved enough by the fans that this idea would be profitable like the original.

Plus, Kakashi has had enough trauma to make a script three seasons long. You can cover stories about losing people, dealing with grief, depression, PTSD, clan politics (what’s it like to be the only person left in a clan that isn’t the Uchiha or what were the consequences of owning a sharingan as a non-Uchiha), being a former child soldier, being a burnt out child prodigy, etc. instead of being relegated as a Hokage that blew up the moon once.

Listen. Imagine a series where Kakashi finally spoke with a Yamanaka therapist since his emotional crutch wasn’t the ideal hero that he thought. Imagine a series where the big bad villain acknowledges the pain he left in the world and actively tries to do his best every day in a place where everyone wants him dead. And imagine Mr. Worldwide, creator of 1000 Years of Death, Kakashi Hatake, trolls the world with Obito “Tobi” Uchiha.

Imagine the shenanigans! We can finally see what these two can do as a pair after it was hyped up in the Kakashi Gaiden arc but fell flat in the 4th Shinobi arc. If these two can frustrate people in their immediate vicinity as individuals, picture them working together and in a position of power. It would be glorious!

Click Keep Reading for extra filling:

***

Address Neji’s death by having Gai be nice to everyone, except for Obito. Obito understands his anger and, due to guilt, stupidly comes up with an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” approach by being his sparring partner i.e. his punching bag.

Kakashi is Stressed™ managing his two best friends. This will also test Gai’s capacity for forgiveness (and finally have a storyline about him that isn’t about youth, challenges, and taijutsu). Meanwhile, we can also have a role reversal where Kakashi is the one helping Gai out of unhealthy coping mechanisms and grief.

***

To calm down people who see Obito as a threat, they seal most of his chakra so that he can perform basic techniques, enough to complete unpaid B to S rank missions as part of his “community service.” His Sharingan, both of them, will be inaccessible so he can no longer perform hacks. In secret, only Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura, AKA the heroes who ended the war, are trusted enough to be able to unseal it (they can have matching tattoos for this, other characters think it’s just an OG Team 7 thing but it’s a key lol). So if a major threat like, say, the Otsusuki comes, and Naruto and Sasuke needs an extra boost to turn the tides in their favor, there will be an epic scene of Team 7 (minus Sasuke) unsealing Obito’s chakra, and his eyes slowly bleed into red and spins into Mangekyou. He charges into the battlefield with Susanoo in Mokuton armor.

(Bonus scenes of Kakashi partially unsealing his chakra so that Obito can use Kamui to buy the Hokage precious “reading material” from other nations. Obito loudly complains about his chosen book topic.

Sakura asks Obito to bring her medical plants from different parts of the world.

Naruto pleads with Obito to take Sasuke and him to the Kamui dimension since they are no longer allowed to spar in training fields due to excessive property damage.)

***

Naruto gets frequent Hokage training with Kakashi. Obito is there to keep him from falling asleep by constantly challenging the policies and ideals set by former Hokages.

Naruto watches Kakashi and Obito debate and then later argue topics until they end up burning the original handbook to rewrite their own.

(Naruto is surprisingly good at editing and quickly finding loopholes in writing. Later, they visit the memorial stone to pray for Jiraiya.)

***

Part of Obito’s new job description is to be the Hokage’s 24/7 bodyguard (if he’s not out doing missions). It’s partly because the Anbu commander who usually handles the ninja president’s security is tired of Kakashi’s antics, and partly because the people are more comfortable if one of the war heroes is beside the Major Threat™ all the time. Obito has to constantly juggle between keeping them away from both his and Kakashi’s enemies and making sure the Hokage isn’t late to any meetings. Somehow, the latter is harder than the former.

Obito wonders how an ex-terrorist became a glorified secretary.

***

Obito and Yamato acknowledge their history in the 4th shinobi war. Surprisingly, Yamato forgives but doesn’t forget.

They compare notes on their solution and regularly train in the Forest of Death. The forest became five times larger and deadlier. The chuunin exams became harder.

***

Kakashi tries to diplomatically pass anti-violence, and pro-mental health laws, and raise funds for the orphanage and veterans. Meanwhile, Obito uses his talent in gaslighting and gatekeeping to out-manipulate the elders into losing debates.

It would be satisfying to see Danzo’s best friends disappointed and angry while Kakashi does his eye smile thingy. Behind him is Obito sticking his tongue out because he secretly never grew up.

(I can’t believe the elders are still alive in Boruto, like wtf.)

***

Remember the time Obama hired an Anger translator? That, but it’s them.

***

Sukea and an “unknown” anbu that suspiciously looks like Tobi messes with the kids wanting to know what’s behind Kakashi’s mask. Sukea creates the intrigue to unite the kids into a single goal and trick them into practicing teamwork. Not-Tobi does the subtle sabotage.

***

If the children ask Obito his backstory, he replies with, “That’s classified.”

If they ask Kakashi, he keeps telling them different ridiculous stories until Obito becomes some kind of myth to the kids.

“The Hokage said he was an orphaned circus performer and he got adopted by a vigilante to save us all from a demonic tree!”

“Woah! The Hokage said he protected us from a moon alien by challenging her to a dance-off!”

***

Tobi and Sukea annoying their way into infiltration missions.

Their backstory: Sukea is a photographer and Tobi is an aspiring actor. They got lost on the road to life and whoops accidentally stumbled upon this secret base. Can we have directions to the nearest artist convention, please? And that dead body was already there before we got here, what do you mean?

***

Adults are afraid of Obito. Teenagers think he’s lame for being a nerd that knows too much history. Grandmas still like him. Kakashi still makes fun of him for being a crybaby. Naruto makes fun of them both for being old. Sakura makes fun of Kakashi, Obito, and Naruto for being weirdos. Ino makes fun of Sakura for being teammates with the weirdos.

***

They visit Rin’s grave yearly. Kakashi keeps thanking her for slapping Obito back to life.

***

The Hokage gets invited by the academy to discuss the origins of Konoha. Obito keeps correcting him like, no, that’s propaganda bullshit, this is what happened.

He made twenty-eight kids and their instructor cry.

(He had also discussed in length how Madara Uchiha can't pee when strangers are near him. That he's still bitter about not being a better stone skipper than Hashirama "God of Shinobi" Senju. That he had an annoying habit to ramble and then laugh like a loon. And he has a face on his boob. Kids, when a centenarian ancestor offers you to help fix the world, say no.)

***

It has been apparent to all paper desk ninjas that to expedite their documents to be stamped and signed by the Hokage, it needs to go through their bodyguard so the bodyguard can bully the Hokage into prioritizing their paperwork.

In retaliation, Kakashi uses his knowledge of Obito’s history with handling Akatsuki and Kiri’s financials*, then points out major flaws in Konoha’s fund allocation, making Obito frustrated enough to audit everything for him. Despite being a mastermind manipulator, he falls for it all the time.

Tsunade visits the office and could not believe the lack of paper towers. Kakashi takes all the credit. Tsunade is impressed. “Damn, kid, I should have made you Hokage years ago!”

*Flashback: Back in his time as a villain, Obito had to audit Akatsuki’s expenses because Kakuzu is known to allocate part of their funds to his account. As for Kiri, Obito was puppeteering the Mizukage and to be convincing, it means doing the Mizukage's job. Realizing the role was a drag, Obito’s dream of becoming Hokage was buried in piles of paperwork and died six feet under.

***

Obito is still helpless when it comes to old people in need.

But at least now he can force Kakashi to help.

***

After discussing in length about Sasuke’s trauma from the Uchiha massacre, and Obito’s trauma as the black sheep of the family, they start working on rebuilding the clan’s name.

They’ve also found a rule in Konoha that once a clan has more than one person, a clan head should be identified.

No one wants to be the new clan head. It’s too much mind-numbing work even if the population of the clan is just two so they started arguing. Obito argues Sasuke is the son of the former clan head, and Sasuke argues that Obito is older than him, and has experience with “handling foreign affairs” (if you can even call it that).

This doesn’t get resolved until Sasuke marries a poor soul who gets voted by them to become the new clan head. Sasuke ends up in multiple divorces.

***

Kakashi starts using his father’s tanto again. He stops being the Copy Nin and starts being the new White Fang of Konoha.

***

On the anniversary of Sakumo's death, Obito uses his monologuing skills to aggressively defend Sakumo's last mission. Backed up by Team 7 with Yamato and Sai, they are fighting for Sakumo's grave to be transferred to the resting place of the heroes as he deserved.

Kakashi covers Obito's mouth once he starts insulting the council and elders. "Will of fire, my ass! You preach about teamwork and nakama, but easily sacrifice one of your own for the sake of a mission. You're all hypoc-!"

Naruto pitches in. "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum, dattebayo!"

Needless to say, they are finally realizing that, oh god, there are two Narutos now and they will never know peace until this gets resolved.

***

The series ends once Naruto becomes the Hokage. Handing over the hat went off without a hitch…

Except for Kakashi being two hours late. Kakashi and Obito were busy retelling Naruto’s life to Kushina’s grave.

***

What do you think?