#threads & interactions; marc spector

[threegoldfish]

Plotted AU-starter for @preemptivejustice

He does not want to be here.

Fuck, no, Marc does not want to be where he is right now. Does not want to be at this place - doesn't want to exist within this room right now, the building, the city, even. A part of him also doesn't want to be in this country, actually - if he could, he would even leave the planet behind and... fuck off to whatever-land.

Anywhere but here, anywhere but... now.

Granted, people have been rather nice to him so far - nicer than expected. But they're still doing their job, and he's still mentally unstable, apparently. He's served food, they've shown him his new surroundings, his room, explained to him which stuff he's allowed to have and which he is not; Good, yeah, that's good, whatever.

But Marc is still here, and he doesn't want to be here. He wants to go back where he belongs, wants to go back to what feels familiar to him - wants to wear a different uniform than what he is currently asked to wear: A white sweatshirt, white sweatpants, loafers. At least it's comfortable, but... it's different, and it's not what he wants.

Nothing is like what he wants, honestly.

If he only hadn't done that stupid thing he cannot even remember having done in the first place. He's got no memory of it besides... besides waking up in the washroom with his hands and clothes covered in blood, with his own face staring back at him from the mirror above the sink, sweaty and dirty and red and---

---Eyes squeezing shut, with Marc bringing a hand up to his face, fingers pressing against those covered eyeballs. He's seeing stars for a moment there in return because of that pressure he applies, but then those digits pinch the bridge of his nose instead, accompanied by a deep inhale of a breath he's been holding onto for too long.

He doesn't want to be here. Doesn't want to sit in front of a fucking desk made of glass where the supposed Doctor is sitting and staring at him, surrounded by white, clean walls and clean decorations and clean windows and clean, sterile air---

---A noise suddenly pulls him out of wherever the fuck he'd been within his thoughts; Did that man just speak to him? If he did, Marc didn't understand a single thing. He blinks his eyes back open and lowers his hand, then allows dark irises to flick up and meet the gaze of the other - brows knit, a hesitant, displeased expression on Marc's own, tired features.

"...Huh?"

[silklies-moved]

feeling how steven locks himself around only means that it wouldn't be any time soon that he would be free of the younger alter. not that he minded of course. jake was the one in control and they were backseating, mostly unaware of what the other was doing and perhaps it's for the better. the sudden sting of his nose being flicked makes him blink and brows furrow for a moment at steven. the arms that keep steven in place move, a hand going to pinch him on the thigh in retaliation. ❛ never said you were fat, i said you're a little heavy. if i were calling you fat than i guess i'm also calling myself fat, huh ? we share a body after all. ❜ musing, he seems interested in that thought for a moment before focusing back on steven. god he's such a little shit sometimes and yet he wouldn't trade anything in the world for him, even if for the longest time he was in denial about his ... condition. ❛ better hope that jake doesn't switch out then or else you'll have no choice but to let me go. ❜ he points out, poking steven in the side this time. / continued thread from here w/ @serpcntes.

[threegoldfish]

@templeofvengeance continued from here

The more not-his-Jake speaks and explains the situation he is in - talking about seriously pushing things with keeping his gloves around, even - the more Marc realizes that not-his-Jake and not-his-Jake's Marc must be... on complicated terms still, to put it mildly.

It reminds him of how things used to be for Marc before he was aware of his other alter's existence; Back when he'd dealt with blackouts resulting in a lot of dead bodies, blood and carnage, when he'd already known somewhere deep down inside himself but pushed the truth away with all his might, just so he wouldn't need to face it, the fact that Steven wasn't the only one residing inside their body.

It had affected him quite a lot, to know that someone else was in charge - an alter with enough power to take over at any time, leaving both of them in the dark, only handing the body back over once he'd dealt with whatever had been there to begin with. No chance for Marc to reclaim his own physique, to stop that guy from acting out in any shape or form, helpless and weak---

Does not-his-Jake's Marc feel the same way? Probably. As far as he can tell from those spoken words alone, that must be why the other hides, cannot have what his Jake has - a wardrobe filled with button ups and slacks, flat caps, gloves and ties. Has to stick with that one set he owns, make it work.

"Aw, shit." Sounding sympathetic, almost, Marc's demeanor softens somewhat and he sighs, arms folding in front of his chest as he takes in the sight of the other. "---Your Marc doesn't know yet, huh? Of your existence? Yeah, you gotta hide your ass from him, make sure he won't find your gloves and all of that. ...We've been there too, bud."

...It's actually quite fascinating to talk about. Marc's growing curious here, tilts his head, arches a brow.

"Alright, so... where are you guys at right now? Like... your Marc and your Steven, do they know each other well?" One way to ask, certainly.

[tiptapricot]

Hey just a PSA but the writer of City of the Dead is a Jewish man who has been upfront about how uncomfortable it makes him that people keep trying to insist that he's writing catholic guilt.

I know that David Pepose is Jewish, but that doesn’t impact the criticism of his depictions.

I don’t think anyone should be attacking his identity or his authenticity as a Jewish man, but that is different from criticizing his writing and the undertones and out of character takes in his portrayal, as well as the pieces it glosses over and doesn’t include. His experience is valid and enough, but it is not the same as the system’s and it does not make him immune from creating things with harmful or inaccurate tones for them. We’ve seen this already with some inaccuracies in his Black White and Blood issue to the more orthodox childhood of the system (saying they went to Hebrew school despite that being very unlikely for them to have done).

My critiques of his depiction of their Judaism as well as others I’ve seen and discussed with people were not trying to say it was writing the system as Catholic, but saying the way Marc was written and the way his guilt was portrayed was out of character and very much lined up with the Christian/Catholic ideas of punishment and suffering to atone for wrongdoing. That’s in the text and can be easily gleaned from it.

The current context around it also doesn’t add more exploration besides “I did bad and I’m so guilty I must punish myself and that’s why I do what I do.” In fact the context that is there makes things weirder by having Marc seemingly be even more spiritually inclined/favorable to Khonshu than he has been in the past.

It’s just a mixed bag of “this is not how this character should be acting and has uncomfortable undertones” whether they were intended or not doesn’t change that. Criticizing what Pepose hs written for Marc does not mean saying his experience is less authentic, just that he wrote something off for the character and things don’t map on one to one.

As far as his responses to the critique of this handling, that’s where this gets more complicated. Besides discussions and dissections here on tumblr, the only conversations/reactions on Twitter I’m aware of are below with peoples names other than Pepose’s crossed out as to not give them further exposure past their interactions with him.

I do believe there’s been a lot of miscommunication and bad faith responses on his part. I understand wanting to clarify when something drawn from personal experience is read differently, I get that people saying he wrote guilt with a Catholic vibe when maybe he drew it from himself is uncomfortable, but again, that doesn’t impact the critique and more context is needed to change where things sit currently. But it’s just a funky and strange situation in general.

(This following response involves a different user than the previous talking to Pepose. The original person left no more responses and said nothing else than what is shown above)

This is all I’ve seen on him responding to the subject, and later Pepose blocked both posters in this thread from what I’ve heard. This is the extent of their interactions with him.

Overall I think saying the handling of Marc’s Judaism in this first issue is weird and off is a fair criticism/observation to make. I don’t think it was intentional or there was any malice behind it, but it does show a lack of understanding of the character of Marc Spector, and was tied to a multitude of other problems throughout this first issue (like as we see above with a misunderstanding/mishandling already of the system’s DID and plurality). And I think people can also be upset about that if they are.

Again I understand being uncomfortable, but issues are still allowed to be pointed out and there is still room to mess up when writing characters from your own community. Fair criticism to how something reads is not the same as personally attacking someone’s identity. And it shouldn’t be, but I genuinely don’t think anyone I’ve seen here so far has been doing that.

Though with all of this I am a non-Jew discussing things I’ve talked about with my Jewish friends, so please please if you want more in depth and explanatory posts on this topic, as well as how Pepose has been handling MK (most of which I am drawing from and the discussions with have informed my stuff here) you should check out @fdelopera as they’ve made many dissections on the topic as a Jewish MK fan! And they can speak on this topic much more in depth and with much more awareness and information than I can.

Some very relevant posts to this is their dissection of why Marc’s spirituality and handling so far is an issue and very funky and an examination of the Jewish themes in MacKay’s writing.

But those are my overall thoughts as well as continued clarification on my points on the topic so I hope I articulated things well!

(ID in ALT for all)

[threegoldfish]

As Thor watches Marc, he watches the god of thunder in return - expression a bit softer now, less stoic, less harsh at the edges; Thoughtful, if anything, mulling over the things that have been said - and are still being said at that very moment. Lips stretch into a hint of a smirk even when Thor calls his suit not flashy enough, and... alright, yeah, Marc can see that being an opinion when comparing what he wears to the incredible craftsmanship of Asgardian battle attire.

---Yes, he's seen a few pictures. Yes, Steven actually owns a damn book about the Asgardians. It is what it is.

A brief moment of them just existing and breathing, humor fading again, the topic being steered back to... whatever the hell this is. The mission, the... danger of sorts that's apparently arising, threatening to end Earth and everything else that exists within the Universe. Great, really. And, apparently, that Marik-guy can give them some... assistance? Insight, perhaps?

One of the reasons why they are here. The fire, the general warmth of this house, are certainly helpful, a comfortable addition to it all - but not the main reason for both men to sit here with their eyes focused on a kettle being nestled into the golden flames, waiting for water to boil, suitable to pour them both a hot beverage.

Coffee, it might be. Fuck yeah, Marc definitely could go for a good, strong coffee now.

"...It's not the first time." Sounding a bit defeated, almost, Marc inhales a breath before he blinks - gaze momentarily on Thor again, then back on that fire; The flames reflect within his dark irises as he takes in the sight, pupils a little unfocused, thoughts wandering within his mind. "Khonshu is... special. Disrespect is his second name, I guess - you know, the whole arrangement of... this---" A bandaged hand unfolds to point at himself, the entirety of Marc's outfit, before it slides back into the space between is chest and elbow again, "---I didn't ask for it. I was..."

Hesitation, just for a moment or two, and Marc clears his throat as memories pop up as imaginary images in front of his inner eyes; Lids close for a moment, then flick back open, and he sighs - deeply so. "---I was offered a deal, and I took it. Khonshu saved my life, literally, and... I've been his fist ever since. We originally agreed on me dealing with... erm, lets call it one major world-ending thing - and, once done, I'd be freed of this burden, get to have my life back, all of that. But... things changed. A lot of tings changed, and now here I am."

A shrug, and Marc realizes he's just been spilling quite a bit of personal information here. He clears his throat once again, glances over at the god, then shifts a bit where he sits - crosses his ankles, attention back on that damn kettle still sitting there, illuminated by that pretty orange glow.

"Khonshu... well, he is who he is. I'm not surprised about him being quiet about what's going on, being all dramatic instead - yeah, that's just... him, really. Very much on brand for this bird."

---Months ago, part of Marc actually would've refrained from talking in such a disrespectful way about the god that's offering him the suit an dall of that - but nowadays? He doesn't give much of a fuck anymore, honestly. Khonshu won't let them go anyways, so... whatever.

"So...yeah, it is disrespectful. But then, things have always been fucking disrespectful - cannot complain about that anymore. Have to take it. Will take it. Have gone through worse - it's fine."

---He's got Steven and Jake, after all, and they care about him - take over, deal with shit, take some of that weight off of his shoulders. Without them Marc wouldn't be able to handle any of this, really.

"I'm more concerned about... you know, the new shit that's going to happen, apparently. Some ancient bad god trying to destroy everything? Sounds delightful, huh?" A chuckle, dry in nature, as Marc looks back at the other, arching a brow.

[ ϟ ]—– Finally there is some ease in the human, the shift in the man's demeanor something the Asgardian had hoped for, and it takes no effort to simply observe and listen for a moment. In the slivers of quiet between flame crackling and Spector's words the god considers the mortal with interest, noting the slipping loose of both words and physique.

' Flashy...' The word is echoed with a hint of mirth in the warm bass, a brief twitch of lips betraying amusement as well.

' I dare say it could use a little more gold still, to be considered flashy,' and there is additional warmth in the tone there, meant to reassure in some way. His own kind, so prone to appreciate splendor, were no strangers to bright and elaborate craftsmanship, and undoubtedly Spector would find the god's full attire even more overbearing than his own.

There was hope still, that the man would not need to witness that any time soon, if ever, and a brief nod is offered for the expressed gratitude.

' The Fates have brought us together for a reason it seems, it would be unwise do go against it.'

Rising once more the cabin's creaking boards suffer momentarily when Thor fetches the mugs, returning to the hearth with a minor frown and pursed lips as thoughts are mulled over. Settling again, close and almost companionably so, thunderer's gaze is fixed on the embers beneath the kettle then, form slacking into familiar posture of someone used to firelight and consideration between battles.

' I have walked away too often to my liking.'

The admission comes with a reassuring nod, golden head tilting ever so slightly to turn attention from fire back to the human.

' It was not only compassion that brought us here specifically. Marik, the owner of this, may be able to provide that much needed wisdom for this quest of ours...'

And subconsciously he had named it theirs, the realization he had done so causing the frown to deepen and a mild sigh to escape. Avoiding human involvement, avoiding Spector's involvment, it would not longer be possible, as much as he regretted it.

' So your god protects you, somewhat, demands you fight for him, clearly, yet shares little to no information with you regarding the purpose of it all? You do not find this odd? Or at the very least highly disrespectful?'

Control and one's purpose, they were both so thickly entwined within every Asgardian that Thor found it difficult, if not highly disturbing, to see it meddled with so carelessly by others.

[spitxlfields]

"Steven, I just wanted to check the new fish for Gus was going alright. Sometimes fishes don't always get along." (Steven to Marc)

The tank was back to holding just one fish again, but Gus's new buddy was not all that far off. In one of those stereotypical too-small bowls was the other goldfish. The pile of books that had been stacked upon a nearby small table had been pushed off and the bowl was placed on it. A lamp peered over the top of the bowl.

Steven scratched his head at the scene.

"He's not a criminal, Marc. I don't think he needs to be interrogated." With a frown, he picked up one of the fallen books which had landed on its spine. "I don't think you're going to get him to talk."

He sighed. "Now he's going to have to be acclimated all over again."

[writefightandflightclub]

Luna’s masterlist of masterlists 🌙 (Updated Jan. 2024

Please note this blog is 18+. Minors DNI. Ageless blogs interacting will henceforth be BLOCKED.🚫

I do not consent to my writing being reposted elsewhere, translated, or fed into AI. 🤖

For anyone new here (hello 🧡), I mainly write Oscar Isaac and Pedro Pascal character x reader fics (including fem!reader, GN reader, and sometimes masc!reader). I’m in Star Wars, Triple Frontier, Marvel fandoms, and more!

While I’m here, here’s my Ko-fi if you like what you see here and would like to generally support my existence 🙏😌🧡 I have no beta readers, I’m not an AI, and I do my best!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Up next (Feb - April)

RIDE OR DIE - series (Santiago Garcia x fem!reader): Masterlist here

Most recently posted (not yet on masterlists below):

Helicopter guitar: reader x Triple Frontier poly (part of CotT universe)

Flight Instinct: Frankie x Santi (part of CotT universe)

Make you mine: Santiago Garcia blurb GN!reader

Untitled: Javi blurb (fem!reader)

Something to prove: Frankie Morales x fem!reader

How to bring a gif to his knees: Nathan Bateman x fem!reader blurb

Sugar: younger!Nathan x older!fem!reader

Santi x AuDHD reader headcanons

Touch-starved Marc blurb

Touch-starved subby Marc pt 2

Jake Lockley soft!headcanons

Steven Grant Halloween party blurb

Release (Duke Leto x fem!reader smut)

Marc Spector sick fic (blurb)

Yes Man (Cecil Dennis x fem!reader)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most Active WIPS

Miguel: hanging by a thread part 3/3 (will happen eventually!)

Nathan: thinner than water (meeting his family)

Nathan college AU - series

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Poe Dameron Masterlist 🔗

Poe Dameron fics, including series, one shots, blurbs, headcanons, and chat posts. (First Order Poe too!)

FinnPoe, some Finn x reader / FinnPoe x reader fics.

A few other Star Wars bits.

Nathan Bateman (+ assorted Oscar characters) Masterlist 🔗

All my Nathan Bateman content

Content for other Oscar characters including: Richard Alonso Muñoz; Llewyn Davis; Duke Leto Atreides;  Evgeni Kolpakov; Orestes; Jonathan Levy; Abel Morales.

Moon Knight, Miguel O’Hara + More (MMM) 🔗

MOON BOYS: Steven Grant; Marc Spector; Jake Lockley; + the Moon Knight system.

Miguel O’Hara (ATSV)

Tony Stark (MCU)

Corinthian (Sandman)

Triple Frontier Masterlist 🔗

All my Santiago “Pope” Garcia content

Triple Frontier poly! fics

Frankie Morales x reader; Will Miller x reader; Benny Miller x reader

Pedro Pascal Masterlist 🔗

Pedro characters: Joel Miller; Din Djarin; Frankie Morales; Javier Peña; Agent Whiskey. Others (Ezra) coming soon.

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Fic recs!

Nov ‘21; Dec ‘21

ILY 😘

[arachnidiots-a]

dropped threads

below the cut is all the threads i've dropped/archived! it's a pretty long list, but i wanted to cut down going into the new year! that being said, if you want to unarchive or start new interactions please know you're always more than welcome to!

@midtownshope / gwen stacy -- 1  2   3  4  5 6

@firefated / jean grey -- 1 

@everwrote / marc spector -- 1   

@medicbled / gloria de lima -- 1  

@pizzalegacy / kate bishop -- 1  2 

@firedblanks / colby johnson -- 1

@bulletskull / frank castle -- 1 

@liionheartd / kate bishop -- 1  2 

@dcredevill / matt murdock -- 1

@fullofhcart / gwen stacy -- 1

@crowbared / jason todd -- 1

@frstwomn / tamsin johnson -- 1  2   3

@wcbsliinger / peter parker -- 1

@peperrood / pepper potts -- 1

@catburglaar / felicia hardy -- 1

[threegoldfish]

The distance between the front door of their - Steven's - home and the elevator isn't great, nor is it insurmountable; Yet, to Marc, it feels as if it takes minutes for them both to reach it, even though reality clearly says it's been mere seconds. They're let in very quickly, however, as the thing seems to be waiting already, and...

Well, here they are now. Inside the elevator. Waiting. Letting moments pass as it sets into motion---

It is precisely then that Steven speaks up, into the silence of the two men waiting, and he says something that has Marc's heart miss a beat there - makes him blink, brows lifting a bit as he cannot stop himself from glancing over at the other, his nervous appearance.

So-.. if we do stay like this, yeah.. if it's a permanent thing- you're welcome to stick around here. You know that right..?

---Truth to be told, Marc did not expect Steven to even mention this to begin with, to... offer this to him, of all the things there are. Granted, he's a caring person as a whole, has always dealt with stuff for Marc, has given him security, peace, a stability in life that he wasn't able to find by himself - if all of this is taken into consideration, it perhaps shouldn't surprise Marc that much, to hear the other talk about making space, implying that Marc could... move in with him. Just like that.

But it does. Fuck, it really does. Steven could - in theory - decide to take this chance and experience life all by himself, after all... yet here he is, and judged by the way he's rambling along, he's... sincere with that. Again, Marc swallows and he inhales, then averts his gaze, lips pressed into a thin line.

---He wants to stay, actually. Has only just... well, moved in in a different way, after all, a short while ago; They'd started to get used to their new reality, the fact that there wasn't just one but two people living inside the same body, decided on making this work, on handling things as a unison...

To imagine for them to not only being separated in the way they are now, but possibly even forced to live at different places... that's a lot, actually, the feelings that arise because of it, causes Marc to hate it with every fiber of his being; No, he does not want for them to be even further apart than they already are now, and to think of himself being anywhere else than inside the other's home causes a bitter taste to rise within the back of his throat.

So, when he looks back at the other, meeting a gaze that's accompanied by one of those smiles - it's gonna be okay, Steven seems to say - he... swallows for a third time. Nods. Once. Twice. Lips pressed into a thin line as they step out of the elevator, with Marc... sighing. Doesn't even hesitate, which... surprises him, honestly. Usually one to not give in that easily, he just might be tired, might be feeling too much already, might be too raw and too vulnerable to build up a wall in that regard.

Yes, he... wants to stay. Yeah. And yet...

"...---You sure about it?" Kind of not even wanting to ask, afraid that his previous alter might change his opinion on the matter, Marc mutters those words out anyways as they leave the building, step out into the open. "You know, it's your home, and I don't wanna make you... uncomfortable. Or invade your personal space---"

---Okay, that one is kind of stupid to say, because honestly - things cannot get much more personal than they had been before that fucking artifact had separated them, right? They shared a damn body. They existed within each other's existence, so to say. Sharing a flat is... almost comically normal, in comparison to that, yeah.

Though he's giving it his all to swallow down the anxiety of the situation, that's not at all helped when Marc mentions the notion of side-effects, something maybe he should have considered beforehand. The very idea makes his heart feel tight in his chest, as though a vice-grip squeezed it and he does his best to not acknowledge it. Best to ignore it. -- ❝Right- yeah, um, stupid of me to suggest- really. I don't think either of us are feeling up to hanging around much..❞ Steven mutters quietly, so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost misses the mention of it being HIS home. ALMOST. Oh god, was Marc planning on not staying here with him?

It's not like he's not lived here alone for a good while, that's been the most of what he's known but things changed when he found out about their situation. Shared body, sharing spaces, it was comforting to no longer feel completely alone in his flat. As selfish as it might be, he doesn't want that to change. Swallowing thickly, he follows after Marc with equally hurried steps, trying to keep pace with him. It's only as they step into the elevator that he finally speaks, able to pause just long enough to find his words. -- ❝So-.. if we do stay like this, yeah.. if it's a permanent thing- you're welcome to stick around here. You know that right..?❞ Though he wanted to outright ask if he was planning to leave, he didn't want the guilt of leaving to be the only thing keeping him there - instead he presents it as an option. An open invitation and, hopefully, an assurance that he's welcome here as long as he'd like. ❝I know it's not the most spacious- and I'm a bit messy, but- uh- I could make space! That locker of yours, I could put some of my books in there and you could have space for your things.❞ Aware he's rambling now, he stops himself, gaze flicking down to his hands where he's picking at the edges of his nails. A restless habit, anxious, one he's not done in a good while for Marc's sake - who'd want to switch back to find their fingers sore and stinging? -- ❝Just.. yeah, we can talk about it when we get food. Feels like we're dealing with a lot of what-ifs and I.. I don't want to make things harder, for either of us.❞ It's all so exciting. All so horrifying. Everything they'd adjusted to now means so little and Steven doesn't know what to do with that. He should be happy, right? But the absence of familiarity is a nightmare and he might just want to wake up now- might just want to know for certain that he and Marc won't be going their separate ways. The elevator finally stops at their floor and he throws a glance to Marc, offering a tight smile. It's okay. He's okay. Everything is OKAY. -- ❝Come on then, lets get going-❞ He breathes, stepping out with hands still kept drawn together. The sooner they get what they need, the sooner they can solve this. @threegoldfish

[steven-with-a-vee]

((Excuse me- I'm on mobile and whenever I click the link for your rules page, it just brings me to your pinned post again. Is there a way you could possibly give me a summary of your rules? I'd LOVE to have the chance to interact with them and don't want to shoot myself in the foot while trying. 😓))

((

MCU Steven Grant/Marc Spector

I am not in any way affiliated with Marvel, The MCU, or Disney as this is purely for fun

This is a side blog. Semi-Selective to Selective. That means that I am kinda picky about who I write with.

I have roleplayed for over 15 years on various platforms, but as Tumblr is always changing, I am always learning.

I do not roleplay with those under the age of 21 as I do not wish to put myself in danger of prosecution. If we engage in a thread that deals with adult themes, I will ask you your age and possibly proof (this is for my safety and yours)

I do not roleplay with personal blogs. In order for us to roleplay a thread, you must have a roleplay blog that CLEARLY states your age that you can link me to)

If you send me an Ask. You agree you are either 21 years of age or older, and are above the age of consent in your location. 

I tend not to go for OC’s due to several bad experiences (I dont really wanna go into it because it’s in the past) but if you have a very well developed OC and write well I may be inclined to write with you.

Please do not use the message function to contact me unless we have established a thread. I don’t like instant messaging. I also do not use discord for RP purposes unless under select conditions.

If I do not respond to your RP starter response, I have decided not to take you up on your offer. Please don’t be offended. I have very specific things that get my creative flow going and limited time available to RP in.

I work full-time so my replies will be as and when I can get to them.

No triggers. But if you have a trigger you want to make me aware of when we are plotting, let me know in advance of starting or have it written in your rules.

I have a set number of threads and don’t exceed them unless I get a very tasty offer.

If I post anything you need me to tag, let me know. If you read these rules, thank you. Also, Ask me how Gus is?

Enjoy yourself here -- there you go mate!))

[threegoldfish]

[@templeofvengeance - Jake @ any of em!] "So, any plans after this?" Jake is visiting again from his home dimension! It happened to be a mission night for the other trio, so he's swooped in to help, suited up and everything. "Was thinking of taking you out tonight. Like for food, not--" he punches the guy he's fighting unconscious-- "well, like that." He suspects their worlds have roughly the same restaurants, and he also suspects this Marc also eats like shit and Steven is still into all that vegan junk. (So, like shit, but more expensive.) Who knows what the other Jake's tastes are like.

It's... an interesting experience to make, truly, to be fighting alongside someone who is so utterly familiar to him - now even more so than he was before, because of... erm.. well... - and Marc has to admit that he enjoys it, to throw punches in unison with someone who shares a similar fighting-style.

As much as he switches back and forth between his own Jake and Steven during situations like these, it's still different to have a Jake within another body fight alongside him.

"---You mean like a... date?" A crescent blade is snatched from his chest and hurled at a couple of guys trying to get close to him; So satisfying to see the sharp metal cut through their necks, rendering them... erm, more than just unconscious. Where his Jake certainly enjoys it a lot more to kill, Marc isn't averse to it - as grusesome as it is, the job needs to be done.

Not-his-Jake punches another guy in the face and it's quite entertaining to see, really - so Marc watches, chuckles.

Amused, he lets out a soft huff before jumping from where he stands and serves that same man a nice and firm kick to the face - roundhouse-style - to finish what not-his-Jake had started before. Yeah, feels good to do this together.

"...I mean, sure as hell won't say no to that---" Another blade flies through the air, cuts through fabric and tissue, "---You plannin' to do the whole candlelight-shebang, or are we gonna end up in a diner? Open to both, honestly---"

Man, he really needs to have something to eat after this. A drink, possibly, just because he deserves that one. And sharing both with the other from another dimension? Sounds perfect to Marc.

[daresplaining]

Some Thoughts on Daredevil #600

    Here’s to 600 issues of Daredevil (not counting mini-series, annuals, etc.)! As usually happens at these landmark moments, Marvel and the DD creative team celebrated with a longer-than-normal issue, which sparked far-reaching changes to Matt Murdock’s world. 

    The situation set up by this story arc is a grim one. Wilson Fisk has been elected mayor of NYC. Matt has been keeping an eye on him (and vice versa) as Fisk’s deputy, but has struggled in his every attempt to sabotage him. However, he has recently discovered a crack in Fisk’s law-abiding facade: a meeting that he has planned with the city’s prominent street-level villains. Matt, as Daredevil, gathers together a gang of heroes to crash the party. 

Matt: “We protect this city, we fight in its streets, we are New York. And now we’ll take it back from Wilson Fisk. Mayor or not, he has to go down. We agree on that.”

    Colorist Matt Milla still hasn’t quite gotten the hair color memo, because poor Jessica has lost her brown hair. It also would have been nice to see Colleen in this team-up, since Misty is there. But these are minor complaints. In a series that restored Matt’s secret identity and thus symbolically isolated him from many of his friends, it’s a powerful gesture, in this climactic issue, to see him engaged in this kind of a team-up... even if most of the people involved still don’t know who he is. It’s especially nice to see Maya (Echo) here, back in action alongside her former friends. Since her resurrection early in the run she has had a few really touching moments of reconnecting with Matt, and we hope to see more of her as the series continues. 

    Matt has pulled off similar plans in the past, and he has taken down Wilson Fisk in some thoroughly delicious ways, but in this instance, it ends up not being that easy. And we like that-- Fisk has been one step ahead of Matt for this whole arc, and it would have felt anticlimactic for such a simple, faulty plan to bring that to an end. Rather than catching Fisk red-handed, the Kingpin doesn’t show. The collected villains turn on each other, the heroes swoop in to prevent any unnecessary deaths... and then the cops arrive. 

Matt: “Damn. Damn. So much for the plan. Need to get down there, before someone gets-- Wait. NYPD. But that’s... Oh, no.”

    This scene, as exciting as it is, features a reappearance of the less-than-stellar Garney/Milla radar sense, which we’ve complained about before. 

    There has always been inconsistency, but generally, modern depictions of the radar sense don’t allow it to pierce solid objects. Here, we see Matt tracking the activity in the restaurant from outside, a blatant break with tradition that we’re not huge fans of. What makes even less sense is the arbitrary use of multiple colors. Since the radar depiction is a visual stand-in for non-visual perception, the different colors must represent something... but what? Texture? And in the panel where Matt notices the cops, his radar seems to be picking up on flat images and uniform details that he should have no way of perceiving. It’s a nonsensical, misleading approach to the radar sense, and a tragic departure from Paolo Rivera’s crosshatching design, which was used to great effect in volumes 3 and 4. We understand each creative team wanting to put their unique stamp on the comic, but come on... if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

    The police swoop in and grab the heroes and villains alike. We learn-- in a neat twist that, again, fits with Fisk’s behavior in the issues leading up to this climax-- that the proposed meeting was a trap, designed to round up the city’s crime bosses and get them arrested. As Matt has done again and again in this arc, he assumed nefariousness on Fisk’s part, and ended up shooting himself in the foot. While we know that Fisk is still a bad guy, and probably has all sorts of things up his sleeve, it’s always fun to see him play the good guy, just to see how cleverly he constructs the facade. And even more compellingly, Matt’s failure to accurately read his nemesis backfires on his friends. 

Wesley: “There were heroes there, too. Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, Maya Lopez, Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Marc Spector. Even Spider-Man.”

Fisk: “Spider-Man... and what is his name? Who is he?”

Wesley: “We don’t know. Just before the cops grabbed him, he sprayed that webbing of his around his neck. Sealed it up tight, like glue. They can’t get his mask off.”

    (Oh, Peter. He’s so... experienced at this secret identity thing.)

    It will be interesting to see how long they actually end up in jail, given the events of the rest of the issue. Hopefully, someone is babysitting Dani...

    One of our favorite moments in this issue is a little reversal. While Matt has failed again and again to properly read his opponent, Fisk knows exactly how Daredevil works, and where to find him. It’s a level of familiarity between hero and arch-nemesis that is highly compelling to us. It’s these kinds of details that make for the best hero/villain relationships. It also gives Matt a chance to do a badass pose on Fisk’s roof, which is always a plus. 

Fisk: “It’d be just like him. Come along, Wesley. Let’s go up and say hello.”

Matt: “Fisk.”

    There have been so many iconic fights between these two over the years that it’s increasingly difficult to do anything new with them. This fight is certainly a good one... but then, they all are, and this tussle probably won’t go down in DD history as one of their memorable battles. But it’s still highly enjoyable, and is enhanced by Soule’s excellent dialogue, which highlights the core of their conflict, and emphasizes just how long they’ve been having these fights. 

Fisk: “If my name weren’t Wilson Fisk, you wouldn’t have batted an eye. You’d be cheering that the mayor had found a way to get Owlsley and the others off the streets.”

Matt: “But you are Wilson Fisk. You are the Kingpin. And you’re the enemy of everything that matters about this city.”

Fisk: “No. I’m not. But I’m sick of trying to explain that to you.”

    But as was foreshadowed throughout this arc, Matt isn’t allowed a clean win. Fisk hits him with a sledgehammer so hard that it’s amazing he’s able to stand afterward, and then goes off to tell a crowd of adoring supporters how great he is. Again, we are given a look at Fisk’s faked (probably?) duality, as Soule is exploring it-- the idea of him playing the hero while still being a villain. This isn’t a new Kingpin concept, of course, but it remains a good one, and an engaging way of playing with the character’s complexity.

    Partway through the speech, the Hand arrive and shoot Fisk full of arrows, thus kickstarting the next story arc. The Hand are really neat when used well, so we’re excited to see where Soule takes them, particularly given their new connection to Blindspot. However, they are not this issue’s big surprise. We learn, as Matt is carted away by the cops, that with Fisk now out of the picture, the mayorship falls to his deputy...

Steve: “Matt Murdock is the mayor of New York City.”

    (Heck yeah!)

    This is really exciting, not only because of its implications for Matt’s life, but also because it has been a long time coming. Kesel wanted to do it back in the 90s, but the idea was shot down by editorial. Bendis teased the possibility, but it never actually happened, thanks to the events of the rest of his run. 

Guy: “They’re going to ask you to be the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City.”

Matt: “Huh.”

Daredevil vol. 2 #56 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev

    And Waid’s speculative story in the 50th anniversary issue suggested that Matt had been/will become the mayor of San Francisco at some point, but we don’t get to actually see him in action. 

Foggy: “They remembered him from his original tour of duty here, when he and the Black Widow made the scene. [...] So when he came back, they had your pop running for office in no time. Busy boy, he was. Made lots of enemies.”

Daredevil vol. 4 #1.5, “The King in Red” by Mark Waid and Javier Rodriguez

    But we are finally getting Mayor Matt Murdock, and we cannot wait to see how that works out for him. 

    The issue’s secondary plot thread is possibly even more interesting than the Matt/Fisk shenanigans, because it’s all new. This thread follows Sam’s final battle with Muse... who is essentially a Blindspot rogue now, rather than a DD one. Their relationship is fascinating, with Sam’s quest to understand the nature of his own heroism/lack thereof paired with Muse’s frenetic lack of morality. They are both raw, emotional characters, and their interactions in this issue are stunning. We’re gonna miss Muse.     

Sam: “I need to understand, Muse. I need this to make sense. Why do you do what you do? Why do you hurt people? Why do you kill? Why?”

Muse: “You know why, Blindspot. It’s the same reason you want to kill me right now. It makes you better it makes you strong it shows them your power it says something it means something it solves your problems it gives you control you’re big they’re small it’s art it’s art IT’S ART!”

    This fight also hints that Sam’s connection with the Hand is far from over... and provides a glimpse at how his time training with them may have changed him.

Beast: “You know my power. The power of the Beast. I will give it to you once again. Just reach out... and take it.”

    While Sam refuses to kill for the Beast, this relationship will likely continue into the next arc-- which appears to be Hand-centric. Sam’s continuing evolution has been full of surprises, and we’re eager to see where this story takes him. All-in-all, this issue didn’t stand out as one of the most earth-shattering Daredevil stories ever told, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable, and did a great job of setting up some very exciting things in the future. 

    As an extra treat, the issue also includes a short, Foggy-centric story called “They Also Serve” by Christos Gage, Mike Perkins, and Andy Troy. This is merely the latest in a long line of Foggy-centric stories that celebrate his relationship with Matt. And there’s not a dang thing wrong with that, because they never get old. Matt and Foggy’s friendship exists at the very core of the comic, and its power and poignancy only increases as the years go by. Give us all of the Foggy-centric retrospectives. We will get misty-eyed every time. 

    We have only one complaint about this story, which is that Foggy... doesn’t really sound like Foggy for parts of it. 

Foggy: “This is gonna be so great! You have no idea how lucky you are, Murdock, ‘cause Foggy Nelson just happens to be the finest wingman in the history of wingmen. You just stand there looking handsome, strong, stoic... with a hint of tragedy, while I draw ‘em in with my oratorical virtuosity. Between my silver tongue, your looks, and the whole blind thing, you’re gonna need that cane to ward off the babes.”

    (Who... who are you, and what did you do with the real Foggy?!) 

    In fact, he sounds just like MCU Foggy. Which maybe shouldn’t have surprised us, because Christos Gage was also a writer for the first season of the Netflix show.  

    Despite this bit of weirdness, the issue is a nice look back at moments in Matt and Foggy’s friendship. It’s a trip down continuity lane, emphasizing just how long they’ve known each other and how much they’ve been through together.  

    All told, it’s a pleasant way to close out the issue, particularly given the rocky state of Matt and Foggy’s friendship throughout this run. 

[maximummusesarch]

Name one idea for a plot you’ve had but never gotten around to writing.How do you get inspiration?Are there any songs that remind you of your muse and/or get you into the mood to reply?

Initiate salt.exe

Oh man, I have a lot.  But to keep it brief, Morgan Ducard encountering other members of the Bat-Family.  Given how he knew Bruce as he was becoming Batman, and was killed by Damian, seeing how he interacts with the other members of the family would be really interesting.  Especially Damian, but since I also have him as a muse, I feel like I’d need another partner so that it’s not a thread of me talking to myself.  

It varies from muse to muse.  Music is a constant for all of them, but that’s a later question.  Rereading comics certainly does the trick, especially because it reminds me why I love these characters.  

YES.  There are so many, some of which I’ve taken into my tags.  I’ll give a rundown on at least one song per muse that gets me writing.

Damian Wayne - Broken Crown by Mumford and Sons

Maps Mizoguchi - Let’s Just Live by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams

Marc Spector - Vengeance by Zack Hemsey

Frank Castle of TRN666 - Paint It Black by Rolling Stones.

Morgan Ducard - Bad Company by Bad Company

Maya Ducard -  Points Of Authority by Linkin Park

Peni Parker - Just... anything by My Chemical Romance

Bruce Wayne Of Earth -12 - This Is My War by Five Finger Death Punch

[threegoldfish]

@therapardalis from here [x]

"We stayed at a beach bungalow back then." A small smile tugs at the corner of Marc's lips - surprisingly genuine. "Was really nice; Could go out in the morning and take a swim, undisturbed and all."

Marc had felt a little more secure with a solid ground beneath his feet; Lucky for him, Layla had felt the same - didn't take long for them to agree on a place to stay.

"How 'bout you? Let me guess - over-water room?"

[threegoldfish]

@threemoonflowers continued from here [x]

Whenever Steven feels the way he does right now, Marc suffers with him.

Just as Jake suffers with them, if any of his boyfriends experience distress. Like Marc also suffers when Jake is going through hard moments. They all still share a deep connection, despite living within different bodies now - the affection for one another an unbreakable bond. Jake is not here right now - but if he were, he'd be all over Steven in the same way.

And because of their connection, their closeness, Marc has awoken even before Steven did, awake and alert within a second, ready to do whatever it takes to care for his partner - to make him feel better, bring him back into reality, pull him away from haunting dreams consisting of horrible memories. Speaking to his baby, mumbling calm words into the silence that's interrupted by sharp, uneven breathing---

"You're okay, baby, you're doing great. Just... breathe, keep breathing, alright? Good, good... in and out, doll, in and out..."

A warm hand reaches out and places itself on top of Steven's chest, where his heart is hammering away beneath that sternum, a flutter against Marc's palm; He pushes, gently but insistent, until the panicking one is with his back against the mattress, so that Marc can shift closer and mold itself against Steven's side - slides an arm through the space between his lover's neck and the pillow. The very same arm then folds once it's pushed all the way through, the attached hand coming to a rest on top of Steven's head, fingertips brushing through strands of hair, combing them away from a forehead...

"...Don't apologize, I know you wanna." Marc mumbles softly against Steven's shoulder, presses a kiss to it, his other palm continuing to rest on that chest... hoping that the touches will ground his beloved, make it easier for Steven to let go of that adrenaline, the anxiety. He exhales, eyes closing, nose nuzzling against Steven's cheek...

Breathes. In and out, in and out. Makes Steven hear it, so close to the shell of his ear, to focus on.

"...In and out, like that... you're doing amazing..."

[threegoldfish]

"I mean... you're not wrong with that one, bud. Literally a big-ass rock." A nod in agreement.

"Sure, and the moon is just a big-ass rock."