#pretty witch chi

[yumekai-artz]

Now I finish the ojamajo dogday

Fuck my tablet doesn't work well

[weinnoiserie]

pretty witch doremi-chi! ✰

[onsukun]

pretty witch doremi-chi

[princess-ibri]

For the Descendants kids with horrible and trashy names, how would you name them? From books and movies.

So I'll just go ahead and give how I changed each name for My Canon Descendants AU, to make them feel more like their own character/fit better with the og movies time periods/cultures. I didn't give them all unique names as the point of the project was to translate the Descendants kids into the actual movies, not make full OCs, (though I did end up making a few of those anyway xD) but I tried to at least adjust them.

Mal--Mallow (to go with the Nature name theme the Three Good Fairies had going on with their own names/Briar Rose)

Audrey I kept as it was actually a Medieval name!

Evie-- Eva, it's a pretty easy fix to more period accurate/Germanic sounding

Doug -- Doleful, to fit better with the Dwarfs Attribute names, plus he seemed kinda down in the first movie so the meaning felt like it fit

Carlos I kept because honestly I felt like it could fit in universe if Cruella's husband was a Spanish man, which he conceivabley could be

Jay--Jaamil, and no not because of Twisted Wonderland that just happened by accident xD

They orginally had Aladdin's deleted sin be named Aziz but there was already an Aladdin character named that in the TV show who was a villain so I changed it to Ahmed, like one of the other Arabian Nights heroes

Ben--I changed from Benjamin to Benedict as that was more French/period appropriate

Honestly I could 100% see Gaston naming his sons after himself so I kept Gastons 1 and 2 but I changed Gil to Gilbert (French pronunciation of course)

Lonnie...oh Lonnie. I changed her name to Chi, as with her patronymic of Li she would be Li Chi, which sounded similar to Lonnie but would actually be Chinese and is the name of a girl in a Chinese legend who slays a dragon, which was what I based her hypothetical movie plot on

Chad I changed to Charles, easy enough. Much more elegant and formal

Jane I just changed to Janet to make it a little fancier/Frenchier as well xD

Dizzy I changed to Daisy (though I suppose since she's French based, it really should be Marguerite...eh Daisy can be the nickname)

Uma I kept cuz honestly its a good name and her song is a banger 👌

Harry is fine, good pirate name, short for Henry, which also works. Harriet was fine too, just made her and Harry twins and made CJ go by her first name only of Calista.

Honestly with a pirate dad named Smee Squeeky and Squirmy also work, though they're definitely nicknames.

Celia works fine, it fits with the time/culture of 1920s New Orleans, though I did change Freddie to Frederique.

Getting into some book characters now:

Artie I changed to Amhar, a lesser known son of Arthur (could have done Mordred but as the kid was meant to be heroic I decided to go with Amhar, plus it started with A x)

Mad Maddy honestly isn't a bad name, but I did change it to Matilda to be a bit more Medieval sounding, plus linked her to Matilda of the Night, a Medieval witch legend.

(And apparently there's gonna be a son of Morgana Le Fay in the new movie named... Morgie. My gosh. Well we'll change that right back to Yvain. Her actual son, no she's not Mordred's mother no matter what the movies try to tell you she's his aunt and I will die on this pedantic hill)

Hadie I instantly changed to Zagreus. He's the literal son of Hades and goodness its such a better name. Same with changing Herkie to Hyllus. Also an actual son of Hercules and doesn't sound like a euphemism for throwing up.

Allie I changed to Mary Jean after the Real Alice's grandaughter, and when I made my Queen of Hearts Kid D4 hadn't been announced yet so I named her Aceline (a pun on Ace of Hearts)

Ruby and Anxelin weren't terrible names so I kept them, just made Anxelin a Dark Kingdom name xD (and apparently they're giving Rapunzel a third daughter in the new movie? Her name is just Zellie though...so I think I'll just keep these two. Zellie could definitely work as being short for Anxelin and hey, Rapunzel had twins in the actual fairytale so two just works)

Wrapping it up:

Claudine isnt too bad and fits the time period but I changed her parent from Frollo to his brother Jehan cuz that man should never ever get to be with any woman.

Clay Clayton I changed to Cecil after the actual Clayton character in the books who wasn't that bad of a guy.

Yzla works fine as a name for Yzma's daughter. I just changed Zevon to Yzon to match better and not sound so much like he escaped the 23rd century

Ginny Gothel I just lengthened out to Ginevra to sound more fantastical

I didn't actually do anything for Pocahontas as it always kinda controversial to touch. But if I did I'd of course just make her descendant her actual son Thomas Rolfe and apparently they gave Ratcliffe a son named Rick? So...we'll change his name to Richard or--well one sec let me see if Actual Historical Governor Ratcliffe had any kids.

OK! Looks like he didn't but he did die horribly. My Gosh.

Anyway I think that's everyone!

[vanillacheesiekitty]

blacktober day 4 witch!

pretty witch doremi-chi~!

[inkwolvesandcoffee]

Flowers on Sunday Morning (Werewolf!Eddie x Witch!Reader)

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Paranormal AU

Pairing: Werewolf Journalist!Eddie Brock x Witch/Barista!Reader (ft. Foo Dog!Shang-Chi)

Word Count: 2.1K

Warnings: None

Summary: There are two things in this world we should take the time for on Sunday: coffee and flowers. Funny enough, these are also the things that connect people, start a conversation.

And it is on a particular morning Eddie comes to you after a rough night, but the conversation of coffee and flowers leads to a confession neither of you had expected.

At least not so soon.

TH Masterlist / Monster Masterlist

Tag List: @buttercup32sstuff @hecatemoon87 @potter-solomons @vir-tual @zablife @liliac-dreamer @alikaheroes​ @ilovemanypeople​

The world continues to turn on Sunday, which means there’s news to be had and if it doesn’t present itself immediately, you can hunt it down like on any other day. A journalist’s job is, therefore, non-stop. Fortunately, though, Eddie takes this day off to spend it on editing articles.

We met about three months ago, on a Thursday. I had seen him earlier that day, sitting in the corner of the café with a wistful expression on his face as he watched the people outside. Occasionally, he’d react to something or, rather, someone invisible. To the unseeing eye, it was as if he was holding a conversation with the air.

To me, it was nor has it ever been strange. In fact, it’s a pretty clear sign of lycanthropy. However, it were the suppressed yelps and unconscious purrs when serving him his coffee in the weeks to come which made me certain of my judgement.

I was closing up the café, at the beginning of the evening, when I heard a tap on the door. I hadn’t expected anyone, especially since it was raining cats and dogs. Yet, there he stood, his hair a darker shade of brown stuck to his forehead and his blue eyes sad and pleading. Of course, as one does, I rushed to open the door and let the poor soaked sod inside. When I asked him why he came, his voice cracked as he explained himself. “I want someone to talk to.”

I made him a cup of yuja chamomile tea to calm him down and prevent him from getting down with a cold. In hindsight, it was quite silly to be worried about. After all, humans come down with colds.

He doesn’t.

Although, that’s not entirely true since Wolves can get sick. It simply takes a whole lot more than a bit of rain for them to need to have a tissue box and coughing syrup at hand at all times. 

Nipping his cup and barely keeping it together, he told me how he recently went through a pretty bad breakup. His ex is now, apparently, with one of my old colleagues, Dan. He was my supervisor back when I worked as an intern for the supernatural San Francisco branch of the WHO.

We sat there, listening to the rain and drinking tea. Again he occasionally reacted like he had a conversation with someone else other than me. 

Despite knowing the answer, I put my hand on his forearm and asked who he was talking to.

“Just…” he struggled to find the right words, “this might sound crazy, but there’s this… voice. And it’s constantly talking to me, wanting things I don’t. It’s like poison, so I decided to call it Venom.”

‘‘What if I told you something very powerful has been awakened in you?’’

‘‘Look, I- I don’t know what you’re on about, but thank you for the tea.’’

‘‘You’re a werewolf.’’

‘‘No,’’ he shook his head, a look of cold distrust in his eyes. Then he stood up. ‘‘Thanks for listening.’’

‘‘She. Is. Wrong,’’ he said between gritted teeth after Venom spoke to him.

‘‘I’m not.’’ I, too, got up. It’s best to keep your distance from freshly turned Wolves, so I didn’t come closer. ‘‘And deep down you know I am.’’

‘‘I’m sick. A parasite, they say.’’

‘‘You don’t. It’s nothing of the sort.’’

‘‘I need help!’’ he roared. However, he lowered his voice after he saw me flinch. In an almost ashamed whisper, barely able to suppress the tremble in his body, he admitted what truly lay beneath the surface of the tantrum. ‘‘I’m scared.’’

‘‘Everyone would be in your shoes. Hell, nine out of ten newly turned wolves are scared shitless.’’

He tilted his head, brow furrowed as he tried to discover why I would say that. ‘‘How’d you know?’’

‘‘I worked with werewolves before. Used to be part of the reintegration program management, so I know how challenging it can be for a lycanthrope to re-adjust to the,’’ I pursed my lips, struggling to find the right word, ‘‘situation. I can’t tell you how to live your life, but, if you trust me enough, I can help you learn how to control it.’’

He let out a deep sigh and nodded. ‘‘What’s your name?’’

‘‘Y/N.’’

He extended his hand, already visibly less than before. ‘‘Eddie. Eddie Brock.’’

That handshake started our partnership.

Or, better said, friendship. 

After that rainy Thursday, Eddie has started frequenting the café. During the week, he’ll stay a couple of hours at most. On Saturdays he doesn’t come, but on Sundays he’s pretty much here from opening until closing.

The bell by the front door tinkles, the chime loudly interfering with the lo-fi playlist playing softly over the speakers. 

“Morning, Y/N,” Eddie greets me as soon as he walks in. Immediately, he, heads for his usual spot by the window.

“Morning, Eddie,” I say, trailing his movements. He has dark circles under his eyes and his face is pale. “Sleep well?”

He mutters something under his breath, his gravelly voice lowering to a pitch that makes it sound more like a growl.

Both of you had a wonderful night, didn’t you?

Out of the blue, he abruptly stops in his tracks. Grown still and the golden morning rays of the sun accentuating his bulky figure, he sniffs the air. Multiple question marks are floating around his head as he turns around to discover the source of whatever it is he has caught a whiff of. Then his eye falls on the source. 

“Those are some pretty flowers. Who,” Eddie points at the vase on the counter and sheepishly scratches himself behind the ear, “Who gave you those?”

I can’t suppress a smile at the sight of the luscious bright red alstroemerias and stark white chrysanthemums. “Shaun did.”

“Who’s Shaun?”

I nod at the flower shop across the street. “The dog running the joint over there.”

He looks over his shoulder and then back at me, a frown marring his handsome features. “Hey, Y/N, that’s racist.”

“Eddie, he really is a dog,” I clarify, turning towards the big cabinet behind me with various beans. I select his usual, with a special twist, and put them in the grinder. “A foo dog.”

Again, he looks out the window. 

Shaun is busy with creating a display for this week’s shipment and a few new arrangements he made. From his apron he pulls a piece of chalk and writes something on the board next to the entrance. As if he’s heard us, he turns around and waves, beaming bright enough for his pearly white teeth to show. 

I wave back, earning myself a quick glance from Eddie. His expression holds the middle between utter confusion and a kicked puppy. Nonetheless, when I meet his gaze, he gives me a look of utter disbelief while pointing outside. “You’re telling me that that dude over there who looks like a martial arts champ is a what?”

“A foo dog,” I say as I tamper the ground beans and prepare the shot. ‘‘By the way, it’s impolite to point at people.’’

“What’s that?”

I lean on the counter. “Look and you’ll see.”

Shaun has gone back inside, busily arranging flowers behind the till. He seems to catch something from the corner of his eye, which makes him go rigid. There’s a poof of smoke and where Shaun was now stands a stone foo dog on a pedestal. 

A small heavily tattooed girl walks towards the shop. A smile appears on her lips when she looks into the window, shaking her head as she sees the statue.

“Her name’s Saoirse, runs a tattoo studio specialised in the supernatural nearby called Saga Ink. Shaun has been thinking about getting a tattoo from her, but, as you can see, he’s a bit of a nervous puppy.” I chuckle. “Poor man. At this rate, maybe I should make the appointment for him.”

“It sounds like you know him well.” Full lips pulled into a pout, Eddie fumbles with his fingers.

“I have to keep this place looking pretty somehow.”

“Do you get them that often?”

“Hey, if I could, I’d give them eternal life.” I shrug. “Unfortunately, this witch only knows her herbs, flowers, and plants well enough for magick that requires them to die.”

“You’re a witch?” His reluctance to break eye contact almost makes him trip over a few chairs on the way to his favourite seat. Fortunately, he reaches it without harming himself. 

“Every woman has her secrets, but yeah. Maternal line, tracing all the way back to 1597, at least, possibly further. I hail from simple folks, those who weren’t documented. Way I heard it, my ancestor left Scotland as soon as the witch hunt began there. Came here and made magick the family secret.” I pour the freshly prepared coffee in a mug, step away from the counter, and place it on the table in front of him. There is still a bit of time left before the morning madness will set in, so I sit down on the chair across from Eddie and cross my legs. “And look around you now, neo-paganism and wannabe witches all around.”

“Wow,” I hear Eddie mumble under his breath, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. His cheeks are tinged pink, crooked teeth nibbling on his bottom lip.

Fuck’s sake, man. So much for the stories of you being a thorough man.

I rub my face with my hands. Until I remember I have makeup on.

Startled by my own stupidity, I quickly check my palms. 

No smudges.

I let out a relieved sigh and lean back, arms crossed. “Why am I telling a journalist, notorious for his research skills, who’s living in his neighbourhood.”

“I’m new here,” he sulks, sipping his coffee. I chuckle at the response. “This is really good. But a bit too bitter.”

“The beans are roasted with and stored among wolfsbane. It helps lessen the influence of the Wolf.”

Eddie averts his gaze. To any other, it might seem like he’s arguing with the air again, but to those initiated to the goings-on beneath the veil and know the man, it’s obvious he’s having an argument with the beast within.

He lowers his head and looks at me through his lashes. “He doesn’t like it.”

I lean in, fingers entwined and head tilted to come across as sympathetic as possible to the Wolf. “Venom, I know it was the full moon yesterday and you’re still strong, but Eddie’s had a rough night.”

I extend my hand to cup his cheek, his stubble coarse and warm against my palm. “He deserves a break, don’t you think? I’d like for him to stick around a little longer. Both of you.”

“He-’’ Eddie gulps as I swipe my thumb over his cheek. “He agrees.”

“Thank you.”

“But there’s one condition.”

“Which is?”

He nuzzles my wrist, voice distorted. It isn’t Eddie who’s talking now. “Scent you.”

A warmth spreads throughout my chest while time seems to slow, longing to capture and remain in this moment. “I didn’t know you also liked me in that way, Venom.”

Eddie’s eyes widen and he tries to turn his head, his expression one of utter shock. Venom, however, refuses to relent his control and keeps his host in place. “We didn’t mean to tell you so soon,” he mumbles softly.

“It wasn’t particularly hard to guess.” After all, there were the flowers, the helping out with chores, walking me home, the gems and geodes that were left behind as little presents. We went through the whole classic courting ritual.

I release the breath I’d been holding and relax my body. “Go on.”

He perks up, though it’s hard to tell whether it’s purely Eddie who’s ecstatic or him and Venom both. That’s the tricky thing about Wolves. There are times when it’s impossible to tell who’s talking. “We can scent you?”

I nod.

An oddly pleasant shiver runs down my spine when his tongue laps at the skin, coarse and wet, while his plush lips are soft and tender. After a few seconds of watching him, both of us in a strange sort of daze, he grazes his teeth against my pulse.

And forces himself to back down. “We only have permission to scent her.” A pause. “No,” he says firmly, eyes dreamy and still glossed over as our eyes lock, “not until we know each other better.”

“Baby steps, one day at a time.” I scratch his jaw, unable to suppress a giggle when his eyes flutter shut. “That’s how humans do it. Slow and steady.”

Eddie chuckles. “He doesn’t get it. You have no idea how many questions he’s asking me.”

“How about you take me out for coffee sometime and I’ll try to answer some of them?”

“We’d like that.”

[somuchyoudontknow]

I had a dissertation written about Chis 'Clown'' Evans and his racist, pos gf Alba Baptista but fuck it. Y'all already know the tea. My issue with all this bullshit is how his PR/ CAA agency are gaslighting his fans. I'm not one of his biggest fans. I didn't really get into his acting roles until the fist Captain America film which I watched in 2020 for the first time. He did a PHENOMENAL job! Chris has talent, he's really great at stunts, he has the build of a super hero- everything seemed to align for him. Until he got a little too cocky (no pun intended).

He was rocking the Gray Man premieres/interviews. Breaking the internet with his looks and fans eating up all of his interviews. Then he dropped this... I'm laser-focused on finding a partner bullshit. You should have seen all the women on Twitter throwing themselves at him, of course, he never replied to any of them. We know he had his hands full (of shit).

SMA comes around and people are psyched because Chris Evans finally gets the title but... a little blurb about him dating then 25 y.o. Alba Baptista for over a year sends the internet and the fandom into a meltdown- let a lone they were breadcrumbing, her team and gargoyle friends trolling his fans; and to top it all off- here bffs are Nazi sympathizers, racists and fatphobes. Chris has too many pictures of him with Alba and sitting with that crusty booger Justin. I honestly am disgusted by Alba, Justin and Kiko; these assholes have the nerve to make fun of people's race and appearances when all three of them look like the witches in Hocus Pocus.

Justin gave a half-assed apology on Twitter but people could tell it was insincere. Kiko allegedly has an entire website dedicated to Neo-Nazism. You trying to tell me Alba doesn't share the views of her radioactive roach friends? The three of them are delulu. First of all, the Warrior Nun fandom really hyped Alba the fuck up like she was Zendeya of Selena Gomez. Alba isn't a good actress. I tried watching Warrior Nun and couldn't get through the first episode bc her acting so terrible. I read an interview where she said she never took acting lessons, that's the only thing I believed Alba hasn't lied about- her lack of acting lessons. Furthermore, for all the hype her pr tried to do for her, she's low rent. No, I don't think she's that pretty either- another lame wannabe starlet with fake tits who badly edits her Instagram photos.

Chris Evans is stupid. I can't put it any plainer than that. He prob got a bunch of nudes from Alba and he thought he hit the jackpot. I DO believe they were in a relationship but due to the long distance between them- I think they both idealized love, got caught up in the sex and confused it with actual love- which I don't think either one of them knows what real love is. I was team PR for a minute but then I saw how Chris and Alba interacted at the Ghosted premiere: They stepped out the car together, he said something to her and she laughed. That didn't convince me that they were in love but they're definitely fucking.

Again, Chris Evans is stupid. He took a two-bit Jennifer Lawrence wannabe and put her racist, delusional crazy ass on a pedestal and let those 3 ugly, pasty-face, racist, fatphobic, acne-riddled morons mess up his fan base. All because of what? Love?

There is a Bible scripture 1 Corinthians 13 that says:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I don't care if Chris and Alba break up or stay together because the damage is done. His PR abused his fans and he let them do that. He's proud to be with her- that Valentine's Day photo dump looked janky but reall enough to see they were dating. We've all seen pics of her letting us know she was at his houses in MA and VT- she did it bc she thinks she's queen of the Evans' castle or some delusional shit. The girl is NUTS. So what does that make him?

Chris Evans is a fuckboy, a privileged cis-hetero male who maybe grew up around a few POC but his environment was predominantly white. I think he's okay with racist comments bc he prob has some in his own family. That's why he's been so comfortable having Alba and her pitbull face friends IN HIS HOME!

I need Chris to throw away the A Starting Point app- there is no way in hell he can go back to that Mr. Goody two-shoes image. I find him to be manipulative and calculating and yes - RACIST! He's been too comfortable around those gremlins for Portugal for too long to convince me otherwise. He just wants to sweep all of Alba's and his own bullshit under the rug. Chris Evans is also delusional. He can't blame the fans that supported you for 20 years and think you're going to be respected. I know he has been bullied but he brought this shit on himself for hooking up with a racist, antisemitic spoiled fucking brat.

Well, as you can see, I longer like Chris Evans, lmao! I just think he's a fucking douche bag that thinks he's cool with his dumb-ass, clownish goofy younger gf who thinks she's a star. Alba thinks she's hot with her big ass head, she look like Ghostface from Scream without that photoshop and makeup.

Chris is the poster boy for performative liberalism, pseudo-intellectualism, and complete head-assery. I can't get over how someone builds a successful, 20-year career and throw it all away for a racist, vomit-inducing trash box like Alba Baptista? An insecure man-child with deep-rooted low self-esteem who needs people around him to kiss his ass and soothe his wounded ego.

I don't hate Chris Evans, I don't like all the fuckery and drama his actions caused, he's just another Hollywood idiot with a pretty surface and a hollow brain. I hate shitty diaper Lolita Alba, crusty-ass Justin, and tire track-faced Kiko bc I hate racist& nazi sympathizing fatphobic assholes.

I really hope for the best for his fans because y'all didn't deserve any of this. I just can't with Chris, he's been fake af since Nov 22' or even longer than that- pretending to be this idealized version of himself; trying to be Steve Rogers when he's more like Steve Segal: mediocre, problematic, and consistently starring in terrible movies with a bad lace front wig.

.

[negative-speedforce]

Eris has offered a combat lesson to each of your OCs - any weapon or fighting technique from throughout history. What fighting styles or weapons do your OCs choose to learn? Are there any who decline the lesson?

Siv: While she's already a fairly experienced fighter, they'd love to refresh on Muay Thai, since Eobard had them take classes in it as a teenager but haven't actually sparred with anyone in years without the intent to kill and/or maim, and they'd like to face off with a potential equal (Siv will probably get her ass kicked).

Hailey: Would love to learn how to fight with a spear or staff, since with her ghostly abilities + a little bit of additional technology to target her powers, she can use some minor cryokinesis and it would be convenient to know how to use that ability to fight with a giant-ass icicle

Jay: Would probably turn down the lesson, since he's not sure if it's accessible for a disabled person like himself. However, if he was absolutely sure, he'd love to learn how to do some kind of martial arts while in a wheelchair.

Cassandra: Would love to brush up on kickboxing (and she'd probably try to figure out how to adapt her fighting style to be able to fight in midair).

Esme: Mostly just wants to learn how to use self-defense in heels, since she's had a couple close calls walking home from clubs and she's tired of having to expose her powers every time someone tries to stalk her.

Gina: Would like to learn Tai Chi, mostly for health reasons but also so she can smack a bitch if they decide to mess with her

Arya: Mostly just looking for an excuse to spar with someone as ancient and experienced as themself, decides to take a lesson in knife fighting for the hell of it

Ember: Also wants to learn how to fight in heels, since most of the time they're dressed in drag anyway.

Cat: Prefers to use her wits and a gun, since she's physically rather small and weak, so she might turn down the lesson.

Kyle: Would love to do some wrestling! He's done it before, for a couple years in high school before he switched to football, and he'd love to pick it up again, since it was a lot of fun for him.

Max: Might turn it down, since he can summon his mech suits with just a press of his earrings and take care of any situation like that.

Eric: Prefers to use magic to fight rather than physical force, but he might take a Taekwondo class just for the fitness benefits.

Jacob: Acompanies Eric to his class, because he knows his husband is going to end up spraining SOMETHING because he has no idea what he's doing. This has happened many times before.

Khalil: Would love to learn boxing! He's always wanted to pick it up, but has always felt unwelcome in most classes because he's a rather feminine man and tends to get treated poorly by his classmates.

Antonio: Because he's literally twelve, he wants to learn Ninjitsu, and fight with a katana. His parents immediately object, but ngl I get the feeling that Eris is going to teach him anyway.

Reggie: Would love to learn how to use a shuriken, just for bragging rights with xer friends.

Ameerah: Immediately declines, she prefers her wits and her powers in order to take care of situations.

Rania: Would probably just want to learn some basic self-defense moves in case some idiot decided to try something on her walk home from work.

Director Hawke: Eris doesn't even get halfway through their offer before Hawke recognizes Eris as a metahuman, and a huge fight breaks out (never mind that metas and witches are almost genetically indistinguishable, she has to have her little group to hate)

Meredith: Would want to learn Kalaripayattu, since it's a lesser known martial art and it focuses both in armed and unarmed combat, both of which it would find useful.

Cory: Since Cory's pretty small, Mok Gar might be right up his alley, since it was designed to help a smaller, weaker person to overpower someone who is bigger and stronger.

Kelsie: Prefers not to get into violent altercations, and only uses her plant-based abilities to get out of situations. However, just for the knowledge, she'd want to learn how to use a trident.

Torryn: Is already highly trained in Jiu-Jitsu, but he'd love to take a class in order to refresh his skills and potentially learn any new moves that he didn't know about before.

Onnie: Is already a pretty skilled martial artist, but at Eobard's urging, she'd ask Eris to teach them Lethwei, since it's one of the most brutal, bloody martial arts in the world.

Pippa: Probably just wants to learn fencing, because she's always wanted to try it but never had the money. Also swords are cool.

Jessi: "Ew, no. This is genuine Balenciaga. Do I look like I want to get all sweaty in this?"

Hyun-Ki: Would probably be interested in learning Kendo, since while he doesn't really have a need to learn martial arts, given that he has bodyguards, swords are cool.

Marie: Would love to learn Okinawan Kobudo, since she's trying to get closer to her heritage after losing part of herself (memories, personality, etc) after her assimilation.

Liah: As a pacifist, she'd probably say 'no' right off the bat, though she might be convinced to learn how to use a shield in a purely defensive manner, in case someone tries to attack her.

Qiara: Is quite literally an all-powerful space god, and does not need to defend herself.

Soraya: Would love to learn Capoeira. While it's not the most useful martial art, Soraya is a former gymnast, and the complicated flips and moves would be right up her alley.

Thalia: Thalia would probably be interested in Hapkido, with its focus on both unarmed and armed combat.

Reyna: Would want to learn how to use nunchucks, purely for the bragging rights. Eris, please don't trust Reyna with any potentially lethal weapons. It's already bad enough with her having a lightsaber.

Laila: Probably turns down the offer, since she prefers to learn on her feet, and challenges Eris to a sparring match.

Athena: Athena would probably go for learning Junshi Sanda, so she can turn her already brutally competent fighting skills into a full-on weapon.

Pyrrha: Would love to learn Aikido, since she's already an extremely competent fighter, but she would love to learn some less violent methods of taking down an opponent that don't involve gruesome death.

Samira: Probably would turn down the offer, given that she considers herself far more of the brains than the brawns, and prefers not to get into physical altercations.

Aldrich: Would turn down the offer, since he does NOT want to be in the same room as someone else's blood if there was an injury.

Matt: Probably would say 'no' to Eris's offer, since he's pretty sure he'll fuck up his joints if he tries any crazy new moves.

Sohelia: Would be very interested in learning Eskrima, given its focus on handheld weapons. Even a couple inches more of distance between her and someone else's blood in a fight could mean life or death.

Vanessa: Would love to learn how to use a crossbow, since she's only seen them in movies and it looks like a really cool weapon to use.

Dolores: Since there's very low risk of her losing control and hurting someone, she'd love to learn archery.

Victorie: Would turn down the offer, since she does NOT want to be in the same room as someone else's blood if there was an injury.

Kayla: Took judo when she was younger, would like to take a refresher course so she can remember everything she learned back then.

Dori: Because they are a huge nerd, Dori would love to learn how to use the chakram, given that it's Xena the Warrior Princess's weapon of choice.

Ellis: Given that angels have no need for human martial arts, Ellis would graciously turn down Eris's offer, since they can just go all "Be not afraid" and scare any potential threats shitless.

Gabi: Isn't much of a martial arts kind of gal, but she would love to learn how to use a medieval broadsword, just so she can use one at the Ren Faire.

[xielexalt]

Xiel's Atelier Log #1 (April 2024)

I decided to start this blog detailing my creative endeavors and progress every so often, discussing the process and thoughts regarding recent releases and current WIPs!

1: "Buffer" ft. ZETHIEL ZERO (DiffSinger)

I commissioned Annoying Hyena to create this DiffSinger voicebank of ZETHIEL ZERO, based on 20 minutes of his Japanese singing data! He's obviously not the best quality DS, but I really like his vocal quality and how it differs from his RVC. I have some ideas for the future of creating an update of his DS that includes his English data, even more singing data created with RVC, and parallel training to help his vocal range, but that'd be for 2025 at the absolute earliest.

Regarding "Buffer," it's the first song Empty old City created as part of Kamitsubaki, and I fell in love with it instantly. I think I'm the first cover of it, and I really enjoyed tuning him as well to reflect some of the stylistic choices of Kahoca's singing. It's such an excellent song and I'm just. OBSESSED.

2: "Tera Tera" - Alcheglow SIDE B

I worked with Kezo, Pigeon, and Kori to make this chorus of Tera Tera for A Sekai Tour! I actually had two groups under "Alcheglow" entered in this event, but SIDE A had to be delayed a bit due to some circumstances. It's a super fun song that the rest of the team really liked, so I'm glad we made a fun final result.

In any case, I'm really proud of this mix and how it all came together. I did all the art and as well, and the simple video. I tuned Rikka and Pigeon tuned Chis-A, and one thing that's really fun about 2 tuners for a cover like this is that the vocalsynths blend into each other more "authentically" like they're actually two people singing, instead of their voices overlapping into one new resonance. Rikka is my darling favorite so I'm glad to use her. I also discovered ZETHIEL, arcdia, and Rikka's blend is pretty insane. I do have a ZETHIEL x Rikka duet planned at some point...

3: "Karen's Cleanup" - arcdia

arcdia's first solo cover coming back as a "revived" vocalist. The process to create her voice is to first sing normally as myself, then convert my voice with RVC into her voice. Although she and ZETHIEL ZERO share a voice essentially, it boils down to the song choice and expression that strongly differentiates them. arcdia leans into the sweeter charm and covers beautiful or sinister songs, while ZETHIEL ZERO leans into a "cooler" charm and covers melancholic and electronic songs? Additionally, ZETHIEL ZERO is strictly a vocalsynth, while arcdia is more of a "real" singer, especially because more "real" singing goes into her presentation than synthesized singing.

I really really love this song, and the comments I got on it during February Youtaite Rewind said her voice suits the song so well and could be the original. I'm glad arcdia's voice has a similar distinctive charm to SEKAI/Isekaijoucho in that case. It's a bit strange that I love listening to arcdia meanwhile ZETHIEL ZERO is a bit of a mixed bag due to dysphoria feelings.

4: "Ga1ahad and Scientific Witchery" - ZETHIEL x arcdia

For this cover, arcdia isn't revived through RVC, these are genuinely just vocals I recorded way back in early 2019 in the real. And then I rerecorded for the other part in late 2023 (4 years on T) to create this duet. This song has such a chokehold on my psyche and I'm obsessed with this song so much... I feel like it defines a part of my inner soul or essence so to speak, so I feel like by making an arcdia x ZETHIEL cover of this song, it's like I've created the perfect Ga1ahad and the perfect Witch.

It's because of this song, I decided to take arcdia's persona in the direction of a "witch" style. Incidentally, ZETHIEL with his emphasis on alchemy and technology suits the "scientific" side of this song. ZETHIEL and arcdia are my perfect duo.

5: "Kannagi" - ZETHIEL

I will not stop covering Hiiragi Magnetite songs. I have more in store.

I'm obsessed with this song in particular, and wanted to create an utaite/VSinger version I could listen to a lot, so I made this shortly after my trip overseas to attend an honor choir. I felt like that trip really awakened a new side of my voice and I think I showcased it here well. I think I listened to myself in this cover so much that it showed up in my YT Recap stats as a top song.

Although I can't belt super high like a lot of other tenor vocalists, I feel like my falsetto has its own appeal. When this was played at a Youtaite Showcase end-of-year stream, a lot of people commented on how insane my vibrato and falsetto is, which I was really happy about, as well as the unique youthful quality of my voice combined with the beauty and technique of the cover. I'm really, really glad people love ZETHIEL like this.

Kannagi is a super captivating song that I'm just really really obsessed with. I feel like it encompasses such a beautiful side of Hiiragi Magnetite. Yes, it's an electronic song, but it really just feels so similar to the beauty evoked by classical or orchestral songs -- which I love a lot too.

Speaking of which, Kannagi, Ga1ahad, and Buffer are all part of a new playlist I created called "Essence of ZETHIEL" -- which I think are the "key songs" for ZETHIEL's overall image and vibe. I think I worked really hard planning on ZETHIEL's image as a character, and I'm satisfied with where we're going with this now.

6: "Pale & Deep" - ZETHIEL (WIP)

This is the next "big" cover for ZETHIEL to define his character image, incidentally it's the same composer as his debut song Hana to Nare.

I carefully considered a lot of artists and decided to go with this artist for the music video. They captured ZETHIEL's vibe so exceptionally well, and it'll be the first music video featuring ZETHIEL's new design. I wanted him to have more of an "alchemist" vibe!

Regarding the song choice of "Pale & Deep," I was really excited Awairo became a proper musical duo (Yunosuke + WaMi) and under Sinsekai at that! Their visuals are so pretty and their music as well, I listened to Pale & Deep on loop for so long!!! The music video evoking "blue" and the lyrics too, makes it even more suitable for ZETHIEL.

I arranged the harmonies here myself, I kind of want to adjust things to make it more "proper" Yunosuke style. But it might be OK by itself, we'll see.

Trying to make an MV myself is difficult, but that's what I'm gonna try to test myself on this for this cover. I hope to release this by June or July. I downloaded a lot of assets for this cover in particular, inspired by my video editing class and the original MV of "Pale & Deep."

7: Various original song/arrangement works

Been unable to publish a lot of them just yet, but there's a lot of original song works I've been doing in the past half year or so. Keep in mind some of these are still WIPs and unmixed.

#1 is client work. #2 I hope to release as a single this year. #3 and #4 will be part of a collaboration album. #5 is also client work!

Also, I published "Aurora" onto Soundcloud, it's just been sitting around finished for at least a year so I decided to post it. It's a fansong for Tobias from Dragalia Lost.

I think I'll be able to release it onto streaming as a B-Side to another collaboration track.

Anyways, that's the atelier log for today!! See you in a bit more!

[kittydoremi]

Pretty Witch Sonic-Chi!

Was rewatching Ojamajo Doremi with my friend and had the idea to draw this x3

[ofwindydays]

[ nana komatsu | she/her ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome NAGISA ABE to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an TWENTY FIVE year old WITCH , who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be HEADSTRONG , but that’s all a façade to cover up their COMPASSIONATE  nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to LOVE BY YOU  by REBECCA SUGAR, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world.

Nova is the youngest of the Abe siblings. If her older siblings possesses the beauty and finesses, the Nova was the "plain-sibling". The title stuck as her hair was stuffed into a baseball cap.

But perhaps that was a blessing when she met Briggs Vaughn, a boy she noticed always got injured. She pulled him away for a while to help her with whatever excuse she can muster

Nova to the best of her efforts just wanted to make sure Briggs was safe, much to the chagrin of her siblings

Nova thought Briggs was her quintessential prince charming or at least the one to have by her side

When the fire happened Nova tried to rationalise everything, maybe it was fluke, an accident, maybe Briggs was in a better place.

Sleepless nights she started to rationalise everything, dunking a basketball in hopes Briggs was okay to some degree

But that didn't stifle Nova, in fact it drove her to want to become a nurse, someone who isn't standing on the sidelines.

Her beauty grown as well, being nicknamed the dazzling nurse heart breaker, much to her chagrin.

But beneath her beauty is a deadly secret, having the ability to chi block and read chi

It only got released when she met Briggs again, in a good and bad way. Once at Rosseaus and Once at the park. Neither were the experiences she imagined

But there was one prince replaced another- a man named Taejin aka TJ the one who saw her beaneath her masks.

For better or worse she released the thing she swore she never would- and she cant put it back

And her it was something bigger than her. Magic that was sealed away

She was left with more questions than answers as feels like the magic controls her than she controls it

But thats what they get for calling her only human

Things to know

She's very stubborn and ritualistic

Miko heritage from her grandmothers side, as of right now shes the only Abe child who has it so far if the middle child wants it or you want it lmk.

I think she knows the supernatural but if you asked her she couldn't describe it just odd. The OEA is evern harder

Shes been trying to understand it and want to help Briggs from a distance but is stuck on how to

Superstitious and Rational - to the point its now taken over her life and the energy seeking is going off

Can come off very obtuse but that because she hates being too attached to others

Would love companionship and give people extra food

Connections:

Friends- TAKEN BY THEO, LUCIA, RYKER, ALIYAH, BUT ALWAYS ACCPTING MORE AND SUPER SORRY IF I FORGOT YOU Weekly Cooking Buddies

Father figure- TAKEN BY TOMAS

Regular Patient

Suck her into the drama

And that one persistent suitor who fell for her and shes geuinely confused- TAKEN BY TJ

[musikat18]

Phase 4 Is Almost Over And Contrary To My Initial Line Of Thought I Did End Up Watching All Of Them Somehow So Now You Get To Hear About It

I'll be talking about both the movies AND the series in order of release under the cut, the TL;DR for me is,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I don't know why everyone cares so much about if it was Good or Bad.

That might seem dumb to say on a Rating Post but I'll get to it.

WandaVision (1/15/2021)-- 9/10

I think the MCU has definitely had it's bobbles handling Wanda (even in this show) but this one actually really hit home for me. The fall/winter leading up to this show, I was actually in a pretty deeply depressive episode-- hardly able to leave my bed outside of class or speak to anyone around me in person, so even though I wasn't exactly feeling grief like Wanda was, I found her emotional arc of wanting to be In Control And Happy to at least be relatable. I do think the Agatha twist could have been handled better as far as writing goes, but I think that's mostly a flaw of the MCU formula (which you'll hear a lot in this post). I also don't think the Evan Peters of it all was anything to get that mad about, and people who were and are STILL mad about it can Submit Their Complaints To My Ask Box.

Also the final Scarlet Witch costume slapped I loved it.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (3/19/2021)-- 7.75/10

I can't really speak to the way everything in this show was handled, given that I am white as snow, but overall, there was a lot I really liked about this one. The writing and performance for Isaiah Bradley as acted by Carl Lumbly was so intense and probably my favorite part of the show overall. My main gripe is really the handling of the Flag Smashers and the need to have Walker saving people in the final fight. I think Walker was well past the point of getting the audience on his side For One Last Go by then, and the Flag Smashers were just...so, so horribly whacked out of line with their prior depiction by the end. It just wasn't congruent.

Speaking of incongruent....

Loki Season 1 (6/9/2021)-- 6.5/10

I really wanted to enjoy Loki. Like I really did. But sitting on it for a year and a half and rewatching it, I think it was just TOO inconsistent episode to episode. There are individual MOMENTS and individual EPISODES even that I think are very good on the whole, but I think it's too obvious when different writers are taking on different characters (Mobius especially). It was a pleasant surprise to see Jonathan Majors, though, and I don't think I hated the finale as much as some other people did. I just think WandaVision did a good job deconstructing Wanda, and TFATWS did a good job deconstructing Sam's relationship to the Shield, but Loki just didn't really have a grasp on Loki as a character for me.

Black Widow (7/9/2021)-- 7/10

This movie should have been in Phase 3. Also stan Florence Pugh. That's about it.

Also if you hate what they did with Taskmaster, that's fine but it's not that deep.

What If...? (8/11/2021)-- 4.5/5

What If had some really good episodes, like Star-Lord T'Challa & Stark Saved By Kilmonger. But it also had The Zombies Episode and Captain Carter and Whatever The Fuck That Finale Was. It's more inconsistency and connecting it for the sake of connecting it and not really stopping to PLAY in the worlds they created, which was a shame, and then when they did it was,,,,,,,,,,REAL hit or miss. Mostly miss.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (9/3/2021)-- 8/10

Delicious finally some good fucking food. First, kissing Simu Liu on the mouth because he's SUCH a great leading man. Second, it felt JUST disconnected enough from the MCU while still having the canon references to feel fresh. It was still very much In-Tone with the MCU as far as humor went, but the actors really carried this to something special-- Simu, Michelle Yeoh, TONY LEUNG????? icon. Even places where the narrative was weaker were WELL compensated by the actors, enough to make me eager to see the next installment.

Eternals (11/5/2021)-- 7/10

Do I think the cast was too large, in the end? Yes. But Eternals was still so...austere in a way the MCU normally is not. It was a very different kind of movie, formulaically. Sure, Big Gray Monster, but it was very much not front and center. Centering it on Sersi and taking advantage of Gemma Chan's Pure Power was great, and I loved how the dynamics between the characters drove the story.

Also, stan Phastos.

Hawkeye (11/24/2021)-- 6/10

I would have probably enjoyed it more if Clint's character buildup wasn't so little and far apart in other MCU movies. It felt like I was SUPPOSED to be relating to this old friend's struggle with grief, but it just Did Not Hit.

I was mostly here for Vera Farmiga. Real Girlies Know.

o i'm about to catch heat for this next one

Spider-Man: No Way Home (12/17/2021)-- 5/10

.......................No Way Home wasn't actually that good. I mean, it DOES go back and fix all my gripes with MCU Peter Parker and Zendaya sells as always and it was fun to see the old cast back. But uh. Into The Spiderverse did the multiverse thing to better effect, I think. The Audible Pause To Clap for Andrew Garfield's appearance,,,,we'll get to her later. Ultimately, I think Tom Holland is the weakest of the three Spider-Men of recent memory and it shows ESPECIALLY next to Andrew Garfield and without the background of having seen the other Spider-Man franchise incarnations, it's all that much weaker because you don't have the emotional context the film hinges on. It's fanservice for fanservice's sake. And we'll circle back to that. Also how dare you drag Matthew Catholic Sadboy Murdock into this.

Moon Knight (3/30/2022)-- 6.5/10

I hope Oscar Isaac and May Calamawy have gotten excellent treatment for carrying this show on their backs. I don't think Harrow (had to Google the character's name ffs) was strong enough to get by on Malevolent Pacifism alone, and it did just kind of Unravel at the end with the Unnecessary Big Fight & the show kind of just Stopping rather than Ending. Also, did not think it was necessary to TEASE Jake Lockley if he was just going to be in the post-credit scene. I would have rather they not bring him up at all rather than having hints so MASSIVE.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (5/6/2022)-- 3/10

When I left the theater for this movie, I didn't actually think I could hate it more than I did when it was over. Then I watched the Assembled on it. And I realized no, the depths of my hatred DO go deeper. I don't know what's worse-- the struggle of having to choose between the Wanda of WandaVision and the Wanda of the Non-D+ Series MCU and somehow choosing neither, leaving GAPING-WIDE plot holes for the sake of "having the coolest villain in the MCU instead of leaving it for the team of another Avengers movie" (Michael Waldron my detested), whatever the fuck the Illuminati was supposed to be, or bringing back Sam Raimi, who I think genuinely tried to direct something visually his own and artful, only to have him bogged down by Marvel's own capitalistic editing and filming practices. The pauses to clap for the Illuminati. How presumptuous and prideful do you have to be to include space for the audience to clap for your cameos? And I haven't even TALKED about Stephen yet, because there's almost nothing to say except it is a SECOND movie where he is implied to have to face consequences for his choices, only for none to appear because the Wider Canon demands he be fine. It is EVERYTHING the MCU is at its worst.

Not you Bruce Campbell, though, you're doing great.

Ms. Marvel (6/8/2022)-- 8/10

I think the reason Ms. Marvel ranks this well for me is not just the AMAZING attention to detail and authenticity of the creative team and Iman Vellani, but because Kamala Khan in the comics debuted when I myself was an insecure teenager writing fanfiction about my favorite superheroes and trying to survive school. I have a nostalgia for her character specifically that might bias me a little toward her show, but there was something so deeply authentic and warm about Iman's performance that I couldn't help being giddy to see her in every scene, despite the power changes and all the little things that would normally give me gripes.

Thor: Love and Thunder (7/8/2022)-- 5/10

You know that thing you do where you have two foods you really love, like, individually. Like how I like caramel and i like crawfish, which are two things that are great on their own. And then you do that thing where you go "what if I put those two things I like together!" And suddenly you're eating caramel and crawfish together and you wish you hadn't done that?

That's Love & Thunder and that's pretty much the sum of my feelings on it, if I'm honest. Like, I'm a fan of Taika's work and I like the two threads he did here separately, but not together.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (8/18/2022)-- 6.5/10

I could talk at length about this show and good-faith criticism and bad-faith criticism and how one can unintentionally legitimize the other, but I think to be succinct I can sum it up here by saying while I had fun, I think the show, despite the efforts of the female-centered & staffed writing room, fell into a lot of traps, like putting a lot of focus on Jen's dating life. To me that was the biggest mistake. Dating can be a very large part of people's lives, but in the show it did feel like the dating parts outweighed the legal parts, which was a shame because this show had SUCH a great cast of actors playing the other lawyers. Tatiana Maslany was great in the role, but I don't think the writing necessarily always held up to the acting, nor did the lampshading of it at the end in that VERY APPROPRIATE AND KIND OF FUN fourth wall break make up for including it in the first place.

Also Augustus Pugliese you have my heart new favorite side character unlocked.

Werewolf By Night (10/14/2022)-- 10/10

Jack Russell you are my new best friend I love spooky things I love that it was self contained I love EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. No notes. Well done. Blade next.

In Conclusion-- 6.23/10

I think, at this point, I don't really care if MCU Secretly Bad or MCU Actually Good. I think if anything, this phase points to the overall problem for Marvel being that, for the most part, they're feeding us the same thing over and over again. To me, the projects that stuck out the most here were the ones that tried something different. WandaVision experimented with TV tropes. Werewolf By Night was a Hammer horror special.

The ones that scored lowest, however, were either full of shiny but empty distractions or just more of the same.

It's not better than before. It's not worse. You're just too used to eating the same thing.

Order from a different menu.

[gamerwoo]

October Drabble Mashup: Joshua Hong

Characters: Joshua x gender neutral reader

Genre/warnings: witch au, fluff, contains a mix of modern witch stuff but also stereotypical witch stuff to make it more halloween-y

Word count: 437

Tag list: @aceofvernons @mythicalamphitrite @minluvly @honeyylin @miki-chi @heemingyu @noraehey @awkwardnesshabitat @floweryjessy @woozarts @anothershorthuman​ (if you’d like to be added to the tag list, please fill out this form!!!)

a/n: part of the october drabble mashup

"Can you hand me a rose quartz shard?”

“Uh...this one?”

You turned your head and almost laughed at your boyfriend, but you didn’t want to be mean. You didn’t really expect Joshua to know the difference between all of your crystals.

“Darling, that’s cherry quartz,” you corrected him softly. “Rose quartz is more pastel pink.”

You were pretty sure he’d never looked so confused in his life before turning back toward your desk and hovering his fingers over your large collection of crystals. It was your own fault for not organizing them into labeled jars like you wanted to. Instead, you left them strewn about your desk in an organized mess that you called your altar.

As you went back to adding the sticks of cinnamon, Joshua finally returned with the proper crystal shard. He stood beside you, watching you carefully place the sticks into the small, glass jar full of liquid and herbs that he didn’t quite recognize. He was really trying to learn all of this stuff -- you were his significant other and he wanted to know more about your interests, and witchcraft was a big one -- but it was far too confusing for him.

“So...what is this again?” he asked for the third time as he held the rose quartz between his thumb and forefinger for you to take.

“Love oil,” you replied simply.

His eyebrows furrowed before he asked in a slightly offended tone, “For who?”

You chuckled, “A friend, Josh. She asked for one.”

“Good,” he replied in a mumble with a pout on his face. “Neither of us need that.”

“Oh, you don’t say?”

He glanced at you with a huff, “Are you sure you’re a good witch with that attitude of yours?”

As you worked with your right hand, your left that was closest to him pointed toward him and curled, spinning him against his will to face you. His eyes widened in surprise, and then shadowed his eyes when you turned your head to smile sweetly back at him.

“I like to think I’m somewhere in the gray area,” you joked. “You worry too much. I’d never need a love oil unless it was for self love. You are more than enough for me.”

He sighed, knowing he let his emotions get the best of him for a moment, “I know... Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” you told him before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Now why don’t you use all that loving energy you have toward me, and put that intention into the rose quartz. Maybe it’ll help her attract someone as perfect as you.”

[septembersghost]

Nobody's perfect. Not even superheroes.

But God, I am so very, very tired of investing in major female characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only to see them meet an ignominious end. Let's set aside the fact that it took 21 tries to even get a female-led film, 2019's Captain Marvel. There have always been interesting, bad-ass women in the MCU — they just keep being done dirty.

The men of the MCU routinely save the day, seemingly with nine lives to spare (not that I'm complaining about having more Tom Hiddleston in my life, but for the love of the Norse gods, how many times has Loki been brought back from the dead?). Meanwhile, the women of the MCU's greatest asset seems to be the most stereotypically feminine of traits: sacrifice.

Don't get me wrong, sacrifice is a heroic quality. It takes a special kind of person to lay down their life for the greater good. But it gets exhausting when that special kind of person seems to be mostly female (thank you for your service, though, Tony Stark and Vision).

First, there was Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), who, in the quest for the Infinity Stones, sacrifices herself for the Soul Stone, sparing Hawkeye's life. Her justification? Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has a family who needs him. So what does that say about Black Widow's adoptive sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) or other close friends who make up her found family?

A lot has been written about that narrative choice, and it's arguably the most polarizing death in the MCU. Especially since it came after Natasha's character endured outright sexism for years, particularly in the Age of Ultron, where the script reduced her to her reproductive choices, having her call herself a "monster" because she can't have children. Despite all that, it might've been possible to take her death as a moment of valor that served the storytelling — if Marvel didn't keep recycling that motif to motivate its male characters.

Here lies Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and the newest addition to the dead fierce ladies club, Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). And that's not even including the saintly mamas who have died to light a fire under their sons (hi, Thor and Shang-Chi). Or the varying degrees of lip service to female empowerment Marvel has come under fire for over the years.

Sure, a past version of Gamora may be alive in the multiverses, and not even Elizabeth Olsen knows if her character is permanently dead after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But I bet you can guess how she (maybe) died at the end: That's right, sacrificing herself for the greater good, even after being villainized for "breaking the rules," something her male counterparts do regularly. Sure, Wanda's rule-breaking might have cost many innocent lives, but it's not like she caused a universe-destroying Incursion (looking at you, Doctor Strange) or unleashed a wave of supervillains in a last-ditch effort to get into college (you too, Parker).

Even with all that, it was not until Thor: Love and Thunder that I finally reached my breaking point with Marvel's treatment of its female heroes' mortality. And I had such high hopes! Throughout the press tour, Natalie Portman made much of her return to the MCU being predicated on Jane finally having something interesting to do. The trailers showed Portman's Jane kitted out as a fully-fledged Lady Thor, complete with a winged helmet and wielding Mjölnir (did I maybe cheer more for this than even Steve Rogers proving his worthiness? Yes). What's more, here, she would not only become a hero in her own right, but she'd get to team up with another MCU favorite, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).

Imagine my irritation when the interesting thing they've finally given Jane to do is have cancer and die (yes, I know this is a storyline from the comics; it's still annoying). It's pretty evident from the earliest shots of her in the film that she's not long for this world. But it's a real pain in the Asgard that, like Natasha, Gamora, and Wanda before her, she only gets to step into the spotlight just as it's about to be extinguished. There are flickers of hope that becoming a Thor will strengthen and heal her. But for dudes, with great power comes great responsibility. For ladies, with great power comes an expiration date.

When Thor finally forces Jane to stop cavorting as a Thor and seek genuine treatment for her illness, he acknowledges he'll have to try to complete his mission alone. That is until Jane swoops in at the last minute to save the day (and his very well-toned butt), knowing full well the effort will kill her a lot sooner than if she waited in her hospital bed. Just like the women before her, she makes a choice — and that choice is to die for the sake of the world and the man she loves.

There is nothing wrong with this choice at face value. It doesn't make Jane (or Wanda, or Natasha...) weak or lesser than any of the male heroes of the MCU. Indeed, it's a death so noble it earns Jane a place in Valhalla. But it would be more emotionally satisfying if I hadn't seen it so many times before. And if it didn't feel like that, while the men of the MCU get to be arrogant, wholesome, angry, remorseful, and any number of complex things, women's clearest path to heroism seems to be death.

Sure, I want more female superheroes. More kick-ass ladies who I can dress up as for Halloween and cheer on. But not if their only purpose in the plot is virtual martyrdom. The MCU has taken great pains to make its heroes nuanced figures who grapple with the human cost of their adventures; it makes the case that there are many ways to be a hero. Unless, of course, you're a woman. (Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, Brie Larson, y'all might want to get a clause in your contracts, just saying).

Because women are expendable. We are living in a world where women are fighting for their lives and their rights daily, where misogyny is insidious, and women regularly fear violence from strangers and partners alike. It's easy to feel that the cost of our lives is cheap, that we mean more in death than we do in life. The MCU, intentionally or not, reiterates that narrative.

I don't want a fictional world of heroes where a woman's greatest superpower is death. It's a hill I'm willing to do anything but die on.

-We Need To Talk About Marvel’s Women Problem

[sadisticwoof-dcmk]

in this life i pray we are happier

Here is my @shinranweek entry for Day 2 (Role Swap AU)

Summary: It all started when Ran (the brilliant detective she is) informed Shinichi about how Spider (the illusionist or whatever that guy pretended to be) was going to be at the Kaitou KID heist. He hadn't thought much of it, until much later, when the shadows around him were screaming and crying out and the pain in his chest had left him gasping-

Shit.

Ran.

Or: this is a snippet of an AU I am working on, where I swap everyone's roles with each other (feat. detective!Ran and witch!Shinichi)

Rating: Teen and up (for swearing)

Word Count: 2,098

“-chi! Shinichi! Are you listening to me?” Ran demands, waving her phone around. 

He grimaces, unsure on whether he should tell her that he had been tracking that cat into the other world. Again. Against her wishes.  

The shadows fizzle out from his fingertips. 

“Um, you were talking about the new café?” Something smacks into the back of his head. He lets out a yelp and whirls around to see the plastic figurine of Rilakkuma cluttering to the floor, and his eyes whip angrily back at the plant on the bookshelf. “You little piece of shit-” 

“Shinichi, don’t curse the baby,” Ran chides, cooing at the (evil) plant, “She was only getting upset on my behalf.” 

He rolls his eyes, one hand still massaging the bump on his head, “You’re on thin ice.” He has no idea what he has done to deserve such treatment from the plants in his house.

One would think that as the Head of Household, he would have obtained the Respect and Cooperation from them. But no. He has to continuously come up with a new PowerPoint presentation for the plants to outline his very good reasons he should graciously be given a single stem or leaf to use in his works (and okay, his potion-making skills could be iffy at times, but that shouldn’t deter his plants. They should be supportive of his endeavors.)  

And while the plants may barely tolerate him, they are all in love with his girlfriend (he understands – he too would be smitten over Mouri Ran if he were a plant). He once had to watch in shock, betrayal knocking the breath from his lungs, as all the plants preened under her careful touch, all eager to show off their brilliant leaves and petals to her. Those fuckers even let her prune them, giggling and chattering to her as she gently trimmed the dry stems and checking their hydration levels. 

(He tried to respectfully approach them with a watering can, and it was only thanks to his years of mastering his control over the shadows that was he able to instinctively catch the can that came hurtling to his face. Ran had laughed for a solid twenty minutes, much to his dismay) 

“I talked about the café twenty minutes ago.” Motioning him over to the table, she hands him her phone, “There’s been a new heist notice by the Phantom Thief. Apparently, they’re going after the Bronze Statue.” 

Shinichi hums, eyes raking over the image of the statue, “Ambitious. Seems pretty large to steal, if you ask me. But I’m not a detective, so maybe I’m missing something.” 

Ran taps on the screen, zooming closer on the face. “Not the statue, but I have a feeling it will be the amethyst in the eye that the thief will be targeting.” She wanders back into the kitchen and resumes slicing the carrots she had abandoned. Over the noise of the knife hitting the chopping board, she asks, “Do you know anything about the gem?” 

“Healing properties. It can be really powerful if used correctly and the protective elements is amazing if it listens to you.” He continues to inspect the image on the phone. Just by looking at it, he can tell that the stone had not been cared for properly – sure, it sparkled and gleamed under the florescent lighting in the photo, but that was the extent of it. No one really cared to bathe the stone in the moonlight, or to warm it beneath sun on the Summer Solstice.  

(To be fair, not enough people actually possessed the magic to care for them properly, as Ran liked to point out every time he complained about this. He has to force himself to not sulk at her counter.) 

“That doesn’t exactly help me to prevent the gem from being stolen.” 

He pouts, placing the phone onto the table, and stands, making his way to the kitchen. “Do you have to go to this thing? There are going to be people-” 

“-which is the case when you leave the house-” 

“-and it’s late-” 

“-it’s eight in the evening-” 

“-and I have bad vibes-” 

“-I thought we agreed that was called anxiety?” 

He rolls his eyes and wraps his arms around from behind her, hooking his chin on her shoulder. “And you’ve been in London for the past three weeks and I’ve missed you?” 

Sharing Ran across two different countries is a terrible experience, he has conceded. If it were up to him, he would get down on both knees and beg her to stay with him, to forget about her police father in Tokyo (do-able), to forget about her lawyer mother in London (less do-able).  

Okay fine, he may be a little terrified of Kisaki Eri and would never force Ran to choose between himself and her family, but he is still allowed to complain about it.  

Relaxing into his hold, she moves along to slicing up a zucchini, “It will be for one night, and then we can spend as much time as you want cuddling. I finally have a lead on this vile man, and I have to try and get as much information as I can. He can’t be allowed to remain free.” 

“The... illusionist, was it?” 

She sends him a sweet smile over her shoulder (and he tries not to let that incapacitate him completely), “Oh so you were listening to me?” 

“I am always listening,” he grins, tightening his arms around her. “Ugh, cases. You could have had an interest in, I don’t know, witchcraft, and I would have been very happy to help with that.” 

“Are you saying you wouldn’t help me?” 

He chuckles, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder, “You know I would do anything for you.” 

“Good.” Ran nods at the cupboard, “Can you get the soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil please? You can help with dinner.” 

“Of course, love.” The shadows latch onto her, even as he pulls away. The traitors. “Tell me more about the butterfly effect you found out?” 

The brilliant smile he receives from her nullifies the headache he gets by the end of her excited rambles. 

(“No really! They found a way that disproves the butterfly effect in the quantum system. Like, the reality within the quantum realm is self-healing, no matter what information gets fed through,” she says animatedly. “They did a whole trial simulating with time travel and everything-”) 

>>><<< 

He flitters between his references – three different textbooks, ten tabs opened on his laptop, and that one loose leaf sheet of paper Ran had drawn on to explain the concept – trying to follow an impressive rabbit hole he accidentally dug himself into after listening to Ran gush about her latest interest, the knot theory: a study of closed curves in three-dimensional space. It had inspired something in him, the way her voice had made a light bulb go off (or several, smaller flickering light bulbs, all at varying stages of Safe and Legal) and he had to try and put the thoughts from his brain into the physical world, before it left him. 

He is in the middle of trying to convince the stove to let him use it (“I know Ran isn’t here to supervise, but I promise it’ll be fine- Okay I know I said that last time but listen, it’ll be different-”) when all of the plants in the vicinity simultaneously shudder and the cold grips at his heart. 

Fuck. 

He scrambles away from the kitchen, experiment long forgotten, and he all but flies out through the door. 

Shit, shit shitshitshit- 

Ran. 

The shadows call for him, screeching in agony, wrapping around his feet, his arms, his fingers, begging- 

He lets himself be pulled. 

One moment he is in his house, and the next- 

He finds himself stumbling out from the crack in the wall (was it always there? He doesn’t know- the world splinters) and the wind whips at his face, the cold biting and unforgiving. 

Shinichi shakes his head, trying to clear the nausea, the ringing in his ear relentless as he orients himself. Something is wrong, something is horribly wrong.  

He is outside, on top of a building, the night sky stretching far as the eye could see, fog billowing from the center of the commotion – and then he sees it. 

The red eyes, glowing in the dark.

He had seen those, in his dreams. The Goddess had tried to warn him, he knows this- but he didn’t know. He didn't know- He couldn’t figure it out. 

(And now he is paying the price) 

Ran, oh goddess above it is Ran, floating in the air- 

He shoots his arm forward and lets out a cry- 

-and the shadows react.  

All at once, the surrounding lights shatter; glass cracking, bulbs exploding, and the entire rooftop plunges into darkness. His eyes focus on the prone figure, hair billowing around her like the wings of a dark angel, and he reaches, searching for her- 

He feels her heartbeat, erratic, frantic, desperate – but alive. 

A flash of white, and his head snaps to the side. The flutter of a cloak, the glint of the gun, pointing at- 

Oh. 

Red eyes. 

He fists his trembling hand, and the shadows crawl across the floor, faster and faster until it pools directly beneath Ran. 

“Do not touch my detective, Spider,” the figure in white snarls, firing a card.  

Shinichi barely catches how the card deflects the needle going straight for Ran. His breath hitches. He knows how something so small could be so dangerous. 

Another card fires. 

And both Ran and his heart drops. 

A strangled scream, and the shadows leap into action, enveloping her in the darkness as she crumples. He feels her, all around him, connected through his element – feels when she breaks from the trance, the panicked yells spilling from her lips. 

“I’ve got you, Ran, you’re safe-” Shinichi murmurs, pulling her into his arms. 

She pants, eyes wide like a terrified creature, skin clammy, “You’re not real- you're not my-” 

“I’m here, my love. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I’m here- I'm here.” 

Ran squeezes her eyes shut, hands gripping at him like her world depends on it. “You- You’re here? Oh Goddess- I thought-” 

He holds her close, thanking the moon, the stars, his goddess, for giving him the chance to save her. “You’re safe now. It’s over.” He repeats the words again and again, like a mantra, a prayer.  

His heart breaks at the hollowness in her voice. Every sob pulls at his soul, the clawing at his shirt, the tears, the fear- Everything washes over him like angry waves along the shoreline, and he holds her closer to him. 

Shinichi hides them in the shadows, tendrils hissing and spitting at anything that dares to approach them, not caring whether the thief had gotten away - all he cares about is Ran. He holds her in his lap, breathing, touching her so softly, so tenderly. He whispers words in her ears and she sobs into his chest. 

>>><<< 

They lay in the safety of their shared bed, the charmed projection of the constellations twinkling along the ceiling and walls, bathing the entire room in a soft glow.  

“He- Spider- he tried to kill the Thief,” Ran murmurs, curled up on her side, their favourite quilt covering both their bodies. She finds his hands, and she grips at them, drawing them close until he has her arms around her. If she wants to be held tonight, he is more than able to comply with her wishes.  

“The red-eyes demon?” he asks. 

She nods. “I couldn’t let that man kill the Thief- By the time I reached the rooftop, it was almost too late – Spider had already put Kaitou KID under his illusions.” She shifts closer, melding her body against his own. “I doused them in water, and Kaitou KID was able to escape the visions but-” 

He tightens his hold. “Spider got to you.” 

“It was only for a moment, but it was enough for me to be taken- It was horrible, Shinichi.” 

“I got you, love.” 

Ran takes a shuddering breath, her voice impossibly smaller, “Will you help me? To bring in Spider?” 

He presses his lips to the crown of her head. “You know I will do anything for you.” 

“Thank you.” 

The shadows stew agitatedly, swirling around the room with the whisper of wrath.

[powerbottom-thor]

Why no one's talking about this?

Hela is back, Strange is back! So many other new characters are there! Odin vs Shang-Chi's father. Scarlet Witch! Thor looks pretty cool, I guess it's a new look of his now! Tony and Steve🥹