#which is two weeks later for the dc verse

[singswan-springswan]

Batfam brainrot said imagine a Hunger Games AU for them and I have little self control so now I'm thinking about it. Which is tricky. Because I'm not very familiar with the DC cast at large. Things I headcanon:

Tim is the tribute of interest. He's reaped despite his name only being entered once, and it's kind of a quiet political scandal, but no one really makes a fuss because his parents suck.

Bruce is Tim's mentor. Can't decide if he's from the Capital or not and serves as a mentor after volunteering to go to the districts or something something administrative bs maybe he actually is from the districts and is a victor

Dick is definitely a past victor in the same district---I'm thinking District 1 because aren't they supposed to be fancy and stuff? Fits with both the glamor of the circus for Dick and the wealth of people like Bruce and the Drakes (full disclosure my knowledge of the Panem verse is limited to stuff from fics and the movies and personal curiosity research) Dick is highly desired by Capital Folk for his physical beauty and alluring charm and yet very exclusive as far as prostitution goes because Dick resists tooth and nail as much as he dares behind the scenes. Also Bruce does everything in his power to help, which sadly isn't much since the system is rigged but it's better than the alternative

Don't let Dick's pretty face and sunshine smile fool you; he won his games through unconventional brutality. He's a lethal fighter and one kriff of a detective, while we're at it. Definitely a huge asset to the rebellion

Of course Tim knows that Dick Grayson and his famous father Bruce Wayne are part of some rebellion against the Capital. He's not snitching. He thinks it's cool. He asks to be part of it when he's reaped, and the predatory tension in Grayson's toothy grin would mean less beside Bruce's stormy scowl if the rebellion hadn't gotten Jason killed two years ago. Tim knows about that too. He knows it's a big deal, but he's probably going to die anyway so he might as well help out in the few weeks before then.

The Joker was gamemaker the year of Jason's death. Idk exactly why he ended up being a tribute because surely at that point Bruce has adopted him. Maybe he volunteers for a kid who's like twelve and has no one, and Jason figures he stands a solid chance because he's been training for years and also his family is the Waynes, but the Joker ends up killing him violently and horrifically and a lot of people grieve across the country. No one expected Jason to be killed. Die, maybe, but not be killed. The Joker's the only one who finds the whole thing entertaining. He disappears soon thereafter without a trace (Dick and Friends commit murder).

What no one knows, however, is that Talia saves Jason's body from the arena and resurrects it with the help of her father by the time Tim's game rolls around. Jason is broken and beaten and lost and confused and full of rage. His only comfort is knowing his family avenged his death. Under Talia's guidance, he continues training, though he must keep his identity secret from everyone, including his dad and brother. This version of Jason isn't as antagonistic as canon and actually works to help the rebellion as a secret agent/informant once his time with Talia is over. He's ruthless. Does lots of crimes. His combatant training, calloused mind, and the freak detective skills instilled by his father make for a deadly combination, and he begins to operate as an urban legend within the Capital, collecting every dirty secret every political corruption and the long list of quiet atrocities to use against those in charge later on, leaving a bloody trail of bodies in his wake. Talia couldn't be more proud. As part of the rebellion, Bruce is grateful for the intel this anonymous source provides, but a little unnerved by the methods everyone knows (but can't prove) he's using to get it.

The Al Ghul's and the League of Assasins can just be the government's enforcers. Talia specifically is in charge of training the tributes before the games, so it makes sense for her and Bruce to cross paths occassionally. They're tentative allies. She's not necessarily a rebel, but she is a little bit in the loop and is content to see where the chips fall either way. Damian is raised in semi-secret. Obviously no one knows he's the son of the reknowned Bruce Wayne, but he does publicly exist, if barely. Talia would have sent him to the career academy if she wanted her son anywhere near the games. She doesn't. She and her father can train him just as well without the dead end that path leads down. Besides, he's the child of her beloved as well, and she wants Bruce to know the kid past eighteen.

Steph might be one of the other tributes in the same game as Tim. They become fast friends and she almost instantly worms her way into the rebellion. It gives Bruce a bajillion gray hairs because now he only has two weeks to figure out how to get them both out alive and the star crossed lovers thing hasn't worked ever but faking someone's death is twice as complicated and he's pretty sure Tim could only sit still long enough if he passed out from caffeine overdose. Then Duke is there too with them big ole eyes and sometimes the lights glow brighter in the room when he walks in and Bruce is getting too old for this.

Cass is a mutt created by the Capital. She's originally used as a weapon to eliminate perceived enemies of the state, etc etc and honed into a living weapon. Somewhere along the way she finds Bruce when he's doing Spy Stuff or something and he survives her assassination attempt and decides yeah okay always down for another kid, disregarding the fact that she may or may not be human exactly and doesn't appear to have any experience actually being human. It's okay though. Dick's teaching her how to dance. She might not know what language is yet, but she's learning to dance and that might be better anyway.

Tim's game very nearly goes to kriff because Bruce almost can't fake everyone's death in time, and if he wasn't able to pull it off, he and Clark and Selina and Diana and a bunch of other people were fully prepared to storm the arena and shut it down themselves to save the kiddos. But it's okay they made it to the end. Tim enjoys being legally dead a lot more than might be healthy and everyone is grateful he's on their side. Who "wins" that year's game? Maybe Kon. Bart's fake death was really dramatic and Dick laughed the whole time he was watching. Duke is convinced the leaked radiation from his faked death gave him super powers. It's all Bruce can do to make him not test that theory in the most unhinged dangerous chaotic way possible.

It isn't until the quarter quell or whatever that the rebellion breaks containment. Previous victors are reaped so Dick is thrown back into the wringer despite public outrage hehe. Barbara can be there too. I'm thinking she's from district 3 because tek and she and Tim can be hacker buddies. She was paralyzed by her game. Maybe sprinkle in some Roy, possibly Titans and a token Slade for goofs and giggles. Naturally, half these people are part of the rebellion. The rest definitely know about it. There are riots. They blow up the arena. Whoopsies, started a war.

It isn't until the batfam relocates to district 13 that Jason is revealed to be alive. I'm imagining them narrowly escaping the chaos in the Capital, bruised and battered, bunkering down in this secret forgotton part of their country and then Jason's just sitting in the cafeteria sipping coffee reading Hamlet. He looks just as startled to see them there as they are to find him. His boots are muddy on the table. No one else in for military rations seems to pay that any mind. Tim's pulling out his mobile blood toxicity test kit to check for hallucinagens in their systems by the time Jason works up the brain function to sip his coffee again. "Sup Dad" He says casually, because he's a little piece of crap.

I think Bruce faints.

the funniest part is that Jason's been keeping tabs on his family ever since etering the field full time, so he knows them all very intimately but keeps forgetting he's never actually met some of his new siblings so sometimes they go really still staring at him like they're talking to a ghost and he gets snippy about it before he remembers. Damian's the only one who knew Jason was alive and doing his own rebel thing because Jason taught him how to read when he was still training with Talia but Damian never mentioned it because "no one ever asked" (read: he's also a little piece of crap)

not really sure who the president would be. Idk if there are any villains down to earth enough that could reasonably fit the bill but also be general enough to account for all the other heroes not included in the batfam ie the supers and wonders and lanterns martians and everyone in between. Anyway the point is that that loser (or maybe group of losers; i wouldn't be opposed to an oligarchy dictatorship) is going down by the power of family and friendship. The rebels win because they have more fun. Good for them we stan some quality shenanigans

No one we like dies

Alfred makes everyone cookies

[fancoloredglasses]

The saga of the Huntress and the Question (so what do you think their ship-name should be? Let me know in the comments!)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue...]

In Justice League (Unlimited), and in fact the entire Dini-verse, despite the fact that it was written for a younger audience, there are a large number of themes that surprisingly mature. One theme is romance.

Obviously Batman has Catwoman and Talia Al-Guhl and Superman has Lois Lane. However, the two Justice League series has four (including a love triangle)!

Green Arrow and Black Carnary

John Stewart and Hawkgirl…

…as well as Vixen

Batman and Wonder Woman (they never go anywhere with this, but it’s obvious they have feelings for one another. I’ll have to do a deep dive on this one of these days)

And finally, the subject of this week’s review. First, let’s discuss the participants, as most people aren’t comic geeks who love the minor heroes more than the marquee ones…

The Huntress debuted on Earth-2 (where DC stashed their Golden Age heroes until they were needed) prior to Crisis as Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce and Selina Wayne. Following Crisis, she was reimagined as Helena Bertinelli, the last surviving family member of a slain Mob Boss, who became a ruthless vigilante in an attempt to avenge her dead family.

Huntress makes her debut in a brief appearance fighting a bunch of robot spiders (but that’s not important for this review)

The Question was created by Steve Ditko as part of Charleton Comics’ “Action Line” (which was ended a year later). When Ditko joined DC Comics, the company (as a “gift”) bought the rights to the Action Line, dumping them on Earth-4 in the DC Multiverse and forgetting about them until Crisis (though they were re-imagined in Watchmen, with the Question being the inspiration for Rorschach)

In the comics, the Question was a very philosophical hero (starting out following the teachings of Ayn Rand in Charlton, and Zen Buddhism following Crisis). However, in JLU the Question is a cynical conspiracy theorist looking for everyone’s “angle”.

Question made his debut working with Supergirl and Green Arrow trying to find out why Supergirl was having disturbing dreams (while I won’t cover that for this review, it is kinda important as you’ll soon discover)

And now that we’ve established the players, on to the story!

NOTE: I will mainly be focusing the scenes involving Huntress and the Question. Any elements beyond their involvement I will likely ignore (unless it’s important later) If you would like to view the episodes in their entirety, they’re available on Max or behind your favorite paywall.

PREVIOUSLY ON…

Following the events of A Better World, an organization known as Cadmus (a government shadow ops group with off-the-books funding from Luthor) emerges of the League’s radar, performing such acts as illegal cloning (including a clone of Supergirl, which was the source of her bad dreams (told you it would be important)) The Question begins poking into Cadmus’s business after helping Supergirl and Green Arrow, trying to find the bottom of that rabbit hole.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor has announced his candidacy for President (and is apparently doing well despite his criminal past. A criminal billionaire with no prior political career running for President? Like that could ever happen!)

Now, on with the show!

We open at the estate of Mafia Boss Steven Mandragora where a couple of his bodyguards are arguing about their secret scone recipe (sure, why not?) when they hear a noise in the bushes. Suddenly a figure from the bushes makes short work of them (but, this being for kids, doesn’t kill them despite using a crossbow) The figure then scales the building and enters the study.

You were expecting someone else?

Huntress uses an aerosol to spot the alarm beams and evade them. She then enters Mandragora’s bedroom and shoots the figure under the blanket (OK, this got dark quick!) However…

…as you may have guessed, Mandragora isn’t there. She then gets contacted by J’onn in the Watchtower and teleported.

Guess who’s in trouble? J’onn expels Huntress from the Justice League. As she goes to her quarters to gather her things…

Huntress enters the Question’s quarters, makes fun of his looks (what she thinks he looks like under his faceless mask) and his obsession before offering to help him with Cadmus in exchange for helping her track down Mandragora. (Something tells me she knows two things about Cadmus: Jack and Squat)

And where is Mandragora?

In a safe house being guarded by the FBI, Green Arrow, and Black Canary. Turns out Mandragora has promised to turn State’s Evidence against his fellow Mob Bosses in exchange for Witness Protection.

Meanwhile, the Question has found out about Mandragora’s location, and offers to tag along with Huntress.

Later, Mandragora’s goons, dressed as cops, attack the FBI while Canary and Arrow are on lookout duty outside. Then…

(Thanks to Princess Darkseid)

A wee bit later, as Huntress and the Question head to the waterfront, the Question reveals he knows Huntress knows nothing about Cadmus. Further, he knows about her connection to Mandragora.

So, if the Question knows why Huntress wants Mandragora, and that she has nothing to offer in exchange for his help, why is he helping?

Meanwhile, Canary (with Arrow riding behind) has caught up with them and demands that they stop. Question drives his car into a rail tunnel. Just one problem…

Question manages to turn into the side tunnel before the train hits him, but Arrow has to call for J’onn to teleport him and Canary. J’onn does so…over the bay where they land safely in the water.

Meanwhile, Question reveals that there’s a freighter from Mandragora’s country arriving shortly.

(Thanks to Unlimited)

So now the Huntress and the Question are An Item, but it’s not their last appearance together. This episode focused primarily on the Huntress’s obsession, while the next is all about the Question.

We open on Metropolis, where a warlord from Apokolips named Mantis is tearing up the city.

Fortunately, Superman is on the scene with an assist by Captain Atom (another Charlton import: Captain Nathanial Adams (USAF) was condemned for a crime he didn’t commit. He exchanged his death sentence for being a guinea pig for an experiment that turned him into a living nuclear reactor (similar to Firestorm, but with energy conversion instead of matter manipulation)) After a brief battle, Superman manages to activate Mantis’s Boom Tube and Captain Atom blasts Mantis through.

Following the attack, Lois Lane shows up looking for alone time with Superman, so Captain Adam makes himself scarce. After leaving, Captain Atom is summoned by General Eiling (calling the good Captain by his actual name)…

…and drafts him into Cadmus.

Meanwhile, the Question and the Huntress have a “date night” where they break into LexCorp to dig up information about Cadmus.

Eventually, Question manages to download the files, but Huntress now wants an actual date in return. (Exactly how can they have a date night like regular people when Huntress hasn’t even seen Question’s face? It’s not like he can eat while wearing that mask!)

Later in Question’s apartment (wait, why does he have an apartment? He has free housing in the Watchtower!)

(Thanks to Blue Kryptonite)

The Question goes to the Watchtower to confront Superman about this. Question reveals he knows what the Justice Lords did…and that events are lining up to make those same events happen in our universe!

Despite Superman’s assurances, the Question storms out of the Watchtower and to…

(Thanks again to Unlimited)

Huntress guesses that Cadmus must have Question.

Superman agrees to help Huntress rescue Question.

Obviously, Cadmus was expecting this. Fortunately for Huntress, Cadmus’s weaponry doesn’t affect Superman so she can hide behind him. Then Superman spots something and flies off, leaving Huntress to deal with Cadmus’s goon squad.

I think she's fine, if a bit annoyed.

They eventually find Question and free him…

…though he’s still a bit loopy (even for him) As they prepare to leave…

(You thought I casually mentioned Eiling drafting Captain Atom?)

The episode ends there and picks up on the next episode…

Fortunately, Superman manages to keep Captain Atom busy and gives Huntress his comlink so she can contact the Watchtower once she’s clear. One problem…

Huntress tell J’onn what he can do with his attitude and demands transport to save the Question (who, despite everything, is still a Member in Good Standing)

Later, in the infirmary, Question tells Huntress about the aerosol that seals/removes the mask from his face and changes his hair color, since he was having trouble breathing through it. After using the spray…

D’AWWWWWWW!

Now they can have a proper date night once he recovers!

Hope you enjoyed! Please let me know if there are any other JLU characters you would like to see a deep dive on (not that many got enough screen time to be able to)

[topknotstrunk]

Review Everything 2023 Roundup:

Stuff that got a proper review:

Review Everything 18 - Avatar: The Way of Water

Review Everything 19 - Werewolf by Night

Review Everything 20 - Kakegurui Twin

Review Everything 20 - Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth

Review Everything 21 - The End of Evangelion

Review Everything 22 - Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone

Review Everything 23 - Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance

Review Everything 24 - Aggretsuko Season 5

Elemental Official Trailer

Review Everything 26 - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 2 Episode 5

Review Everything 27 - Dead End: Paranormal Park

Review Everything 28 - Owl House Season 3

Review Everything 29 - Knock at The Cabin

Review Everything 30 - Sweet Tooth, Season 1

Elemental Official Clip Followup

Review Everything 31 - Good Omens Season 1

Review Everything 32 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Review Everything 33 - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Review Everything 34 - Don’t Look Under The Bed

Review Everything 35 - DC League of Super-Pets

Review Everything 36 - Pompo the Cinephile

Review Everything 37 - The Deer King

Review Everything 38 - Smile

Review Everything 39 - Blue Beetle

Review Everything 40 - Barbie

Review Everything 41 - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Movies I watched that haven't gotten a review yet:

Elemental

Nimona

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Mario Bros. Movie

Blue Eye Samurai

Hilda Season 3

My Little Pony Make Your Mark Chapter 6

DC Super Hero Girls: Season 1

Inside Job: Part 2

The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks

Elfquest the Hidden Years issues #1-14

Two Sentence Review Catch Ups:

Escaping Twin Flames: Internet cults are spooky and the fact that people are not taught lateral reading so they're on the rise is just as spooky. Forcing people to be trans is horrifying. 6/10

One Piece Live Action Show: Dropped after a few episodes. The acting is corny but the visual effects are fine, at least as far in as I watched. 4/10

Bee and Puppycat: Part 1: Put on hold after Episode 12. I don't understand how the voice acting and animation got worse when they switched from an indie production to a big scale one. Bee in particular sounds so tired and blase in almost every line delivery that it makes her sound bored which makes me feel bored watching this. ???/10

Hoarders Season 12: Hoarders is a guilty pleasure of mine. Nothing deep, it's just interesting to me. 5/10

You can find my further attempts to catalogue the visual media I watched this year on my Letterboxd, MyAnimeList, and for books I've got a Goodreads.

[phantom-le6]

Ramble of the month March 2023: What if Batman Begins had begun the DCEU?

Another late ramble this month, I’m afraid.  I had planned to write this up and more during a recent week off, but an atypically long walk took a lot of my energy, and it’s taken me the better part of a week to rest and recover from that. Anyway, after spending last month using the X-Men to x-toll the virtues of being mindful over accents in adaptational media, this month I’m shifting over the world of DC Comics.  By now, many of us are aware that DC is about to undergo a reboot of its live-action film universe, and some are pointing to all manner of behind-the-scenes issues on this, wasting time finger-pointing and so on.

 For me, this is no surprise; DC’s home animation film run the DCAMU recently underwent a similar reboot, with the so-called Tomorrow-verse now in the process of being released over however many films that will last.  This is also no surprise, because rebooting is DC’s stock-in-trade; ever since the Crisis on Multiple Earths crossover event on the 1980’s, DC has used reboots to update, simplify and so on with the source material. In that sense, it makes DC a more flexible source material to adapt because the source material is regularly being cancelled and started over.  That, in turn, means that the very concept of “canon” becomes rather a loose term in this area.

 However, the one thing that does come to mind with all this is why didn’t the DCEU start sooner?  When I consider DC’s live-action offerings from the era preceding 2013’s Man of Steel, they had a very good thing going with the Dark Knight trilogy, in-between the films of which were poorer offerings like Superman Returns and Green Lantern.  These were poor less due to casting and more poor handling by those working behind the scenes, but nonetheless the question remains; what if DC and Warner Brothers had had the vision to use Batman Begins as the start-point for a wider DC cinematic universe?

 The idea isn’t totally fantastic, given that DC created the Justice League in the 1950’s or 1960’s, as a modernised successor to the Justice Society of the 1940’s, and indeed Stan Lee’s first Marvel comics title the Fantastic Four was created as competition for the Justice League, with the Avengers coming later. As such, it would have made sense for DC to lead the way again, to one-up the viable superhero films made by Fox and Sony with Marvel film-rights by not only taking their heroes seriously, but working towards a Justice League film.

Last year, I did a few rambles looking at how a real 90’s MCU would look, and this ramble will be going down the same route, only this time using Batman Begins as a starting point instead of reinventing everything from scratch.  So, without further ado, here’s the first stage of a DCEU with Batman Begins, well, beginning it…

2005: Batman Begins

2006: Man of Steel

2007: Wonder Woman

2008: The Dark Knight, Green Lantern

2009: The Flash, Man of Steel 2

2010: Aquaman, Justice League

 This first stage re-works 2006’s Superman Returns with a film that bears the title of Snyder’s 2013 film, though as I’ll show in a moment, it’s very much adjusted to correct some of that film’s issues. Wonder Woman is then brought forward a full decade, after which the films shift to 2 per year, levelling up to 3 per year only after the first Justice League film.  In the two-per-year part of this stage, we bring back the Dark Knight largely as was, give GL a major overhaul compared to the 2011 version, then we have a Flash film without going into Flashpoint.  After that, a follow-up film for Superman and a solo film for Aquaman fill up the time pre-Justice League.  Now let’s look at these films one by one for a bit more detail…

Batman Begins (2005) Directed by Christopher Nolan

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Christian Bale

Alfred Pennyworth = Michael Caine

Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul = Liam Neeson

Fake Ra's Al Ghul = Ken Watanabe

Lucius Fox = Morgan Freeman

Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow = Cillian Murphy

Rachel Dawes = Katie Holmes

Carmine Falconie = Tom Wilkinson

James "Jim" Gordon = Gary Oldman

Commissioner Loeb = Colin McFarlane

Det. Flass = Mark Boone Junior

 As I’ve said, the first film of this alternate DCEU is almost completely unchanged.  The only difference might be the odd newspaper or computer screen hinting at a wider universe; copies of the Daily Planet, computers in the bat-cave trolling the databases of Star Labs or Lex Corp for info on Scarecrow’s fear toxin, and so on.  These subtle hints could also be joined by the odd spoken reference to those companies being rivals to Wayne Enterprises.  Nothing major, just a little hint here and there that while the Batman is alone in Gotham, he is part of a larger world.

Man of Steel (2006) Directed by Roland Emerich

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Brandon Routh

Lois Lane = Kate Bosworth

Martha Kent = Diane Lane

Jonathan Kent = Kevin Costner

General Zod = Michael Shannon

Jor-El = Russell Crowe

Lara Lor-Van = Marina Sirtis

Faora-Ul = Lucy Lawless

Dr Emil Hamilton = Richard Schiff

Dr Silas Stone = Rocky Carroll

General Swanwick = Harry Lennix

Perry White = Sam Neill

Jimmy Olsen = Rider Strong

 Now we’re getting to our first Superman instalment, and there’s some major shifts here.  I’ve kept the Superman and Lois from Superman Returns, while taking the Kents, Zod, Jor-El, Hamilton and Swanwick all from the Snyder Man of Steel. Everyone else is my own selection, and I put Roland Emerich in as director because let’s face it, if you want Zod’s group coming over like the first contact out of Independence Day, you get that film’s director to come along and do it.  I also add in Dr Silas Stone as a nod to the idea of Cyborg showing up down the line, albeit in his original Teen Titans role (the Titans being deserving of some serious film exploration instead of being increasingly kiddified in animation).

 Plot-wise, the film follows a similar thrust to the Snyder Man of Steel, but without the stupid death scene for Jonathan Kent, not to mention having Superman be more guarded with his dual identity.  The film would also be tonally and visually lighter without being goofy, cheesy or cliché (all something Superman can too easily become if you get the wrong people involved).

Wonder Woman (2007) Directed by Gates McFadden

Diana/Wonder Woman = Kate Beckinsale

Steve Trevor = Heath Ledger

Hippolyta = Connie Nielsen

Antiope = Robin Wright

Etta Candy = Lucy Davies

Ares = David Thewlis

Enrich Luddendorf = Danny Hutson

Dr Isabel Maru/Doctor Poison = Jolene Blalock

Sameer = Saïd Taghmaoui

Charlie = Ewen Bremner

Chief = Robert Beltran

 Couple of Trek links here, the first of which being that it’s Gates McFadden, the actress who once played Dr Beverley Crusher, that I’d be putting in charge.  While Gates was saddled with one of the worst Trek stories imaginable back when she was allowed to direct a TNG episode, she did as a good job with it as could be done, and DC’s best move on the 2017 Wonder Woman was putting a woman in the director’s chair.  This is the first female superhero in comics, so it makes sense to have a woman directing the film as well as leading it in front of the camera.  The other Trek link is Robert Beltran, who is one of the few actors I know of that could play the Native American character from the 2017 film if it was being done in 2007.

 Cast-wise, a lot of changes and a lot of carry-overs, with most of the latter being in the supporting cast.  Going back to 2007, Kate Beckinsale is the obvious pick of that era for Wonder Woman, and I’ve picked Heath Ledger for Steve Trevor because I suspect he’d do better in that role than as the Joker, both in acting terms and to avoid exacerbating the mental health issues that led to his suicide in real life.  In terms of plot, it’s kind of similar to the original film, but with a change to any framing scenes at either end of the film to account for the change in continuity.  Also, there’d be a behind-the-scenes memo that nothing in later Wonder Woman films set pre-present day can contradict how she appears in the present.

The Dark Knight (2008) Directed by Christopher Nolan

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Christian Bale

Alfred Pennyworth = Michael Caine

The Joker = Willem Dafoe

Harvey Dent/Two-Face = Aaron Eckhart

Lucius Fox = Morgan Freeman

Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow = Cillian Murphy

Rachel Dawes = Katie Holmes

James "Jim" Gordon = Gary Oldman

Commissioner Loeb = Colin McFarlane

Sal Maroni = Eric Roberts

 With this film, there’s a couple of changes in the cast.  First of all, the scheduling conflict that prevented Katie Holmes reprising her role as Rachel Dawes wouldn’t have occurred, and second, with Heath Ledger having played Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman, that frees up the role of Joker for Willem Dafoe, one of the few common fan-casts of the internet I can agree with.  Here, the bigger change is with regards to the plot; since Batman is gearing up to work with other heroes in the Justice League, having him take the blame for Harvey’s crimes as Two-Face wouldn’t work.

 Instead, Batman provides Gordon with falsified evidence that Dent only committed his crimes under duress from the Joker following his scarring, and both men live to be incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.  This strains the Batman/Gordon relationship, but a hint is left that the two men may yet reconcile.  Maybe not the iconic ending we got on the original, but better if you’re making something in a wider universe instead a stand-alone trilogy.

Green Lantern (2008) Directed by Matthew Vaughan

Green Lantern/Hal Jordan = Ben Affleck

Carol Ferris = Liv Tyler

Carl Ferris = Kurt Russell

Tom Kalmaku = Taika Waititi

Andy = Connor Trinneer

Biff = Josh Lucas

William Hand/Black Hand = Wes Bentley

Atrocitus = Liev Schreiber

Thaal Sinestro = Mark Strong

Kilowog = Tyrese Gibson

Tomar-Re = Hugh Laurie

Salaak = Dominic West

Abin Sur = Jude Law

Arisia Rrab = Anna Paquin

Ganthet = Patrick Stewart

Sayd = Glenn Close

Appa Ali Apsa = Hugo Weaving

 Major overhaul was always going to be needed here, because let’s face it, the 2011 Green Lantern film was not brilliant.  There’s a number of reasons for that, starting with the rushing of the Parallax story arc, so that’s totally removed and replaced with the Hal Jordan origin arc as shown in the pre-Blackest Night reboot, complete with Black Hand and Atrocitus as the main antagonists.  Second, the film will also take a more GL Corp-centric approach to its opening act, and does a longer time-span for the training montage when Hal joins the corps.

 Third is the matter of casting; Taika Waititi and Mark Strong are the only actors remaining from the 2011 version, and I’ve put in Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler for Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris simply because while the film Armageddon isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, Affleck and Tyler did well as an on-screen couple, and it’s a cool nod back to that film.  I’ve also tried to incorporate more named corps members, plus some bigger-name actors for the Guardians.  Needless to say, I think Patrick Stewart, Glenn Close and Hugo Weaving as the main ones is some quality casting.  Finally, I put Matthew Vaughan in as director based on his work on X-Men: First Class.

The Flash (2009) Directed by JJ Abrams

Barry Allen/The Flash = Matt Damon

Iris West = Drew Barrymore

Det. Ira West = William Sadler

Dr Henry Allen = Harrison Ford

Darryl Fyre = William Russ

Capt. Singh = Faran Tahir

Patty Spivot = Cameron Diaz

Tina McGee = Pauley Perrette

Captain Cold/Leonard Snart = Rob Lowe

Heatwave/Mick Rory = Ron Perlman

Captain Boomerang/Digger Harkness = Hugh Jackman

Mirror Master/Sam Scudder = Terrence Howard

Golden Glider/Lisa Snart = Parkey Posey

Weather Wizard/Mark Mardon = Michael Fassbender

 While Abrams’ work on Star Wars is questionable at best, his work on the Star Trek reboot films has earned him a place in this alternative DCEU as the director of the Flash.  Now since 2009 was when Flash was rebooting the DC Comics universe by way of Flashpoint, this film would inevitably avoid going down that route.  Instead, the film would be more a classic origin arc that pits Barry Allen against the Rogues.  Keeping the plot this simple allows a bit more leeway to pad it out by looking into who Barry is, what he can do with his powers and so on.

 Cast-wise, thinking ahead to the idea of a Justice League film, I had to pick Matt Damon just to get him paired up with Ben Affleck again (the two having previously worked together on films like Dogma and Good Will Hunting).  The rest of the cast is a veritable star-studded line-up, with Drew Barrymore chosen as Iris because she and Damon voice-acted together on the animated film Titan A.E. and I wanted to recreate that duo. NCIS fans will also note a role in this for now-former actress Pauley Perrette, largely because the role is for a forensic scientist and the film is about a forensic scientist superhero.  If that’s not something screaming out for the woman that played Abbey Sciuto, I don’t know what is.

 Man of Steel 2 (2009) Directed by Ron Howard

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Brandon Routh

Lois Lane = Kate Bosworth

J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter = Chiwetel Ejiofor

Martha Kent = Diane Lane

Jonathan Kent = Kevin Costner

Jor-El = Russell Crowe

Dr Emil Hamilton = Richard Schiff

Lex Luthor = Kelsey Grammer

John Corbin/Metallo = Orlando Bloom

Eve Teschmacher = Jennifer Lawrence

Mercy Graves = Scarlett Johansson

General Swanwick = Harry Lennix

Perry White = Sam Neill

Jimmy Olsen = Rider Strong

Cat Grant = January Jones

Steve Lombard = Josh Brolin

Capt. Maggie Sawyer = Jeri Ryan

Insp. Turpin = Colin Farrell

For our second Superman solo film, the helm shifts to Ron Howard, and we get into the more classic Superman vs Lex Luthor dynamic.  This time, however, we take a very different tack to Snyder’s Batman vs Superman.  This time, Clark Kent is struggling with his Superman identity because his nature as an alien is outed in that identity and the public struggles to accept this, something magnified by the anti-alien businessman Lex Luthor.  In this story, Superman meets and gets advice from fellow alien J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, and the main physical threat comes from Metallo, an anti-alien radical that Luthor turns into a Kryptonite-powered cyborg.

 Here again, we get a lot of star power in among the new cast, and again, we’re not necessarily going to see Superman being casual with his dual identity. The MCU might play it that way, Snyder might play it that way; I don’t, and I hope James Gunn doesn’t either.  The superhero secret identity concept is important, especially to superheroes like Superman who founded the concept, and I wouldn’t want any film in this alternate DCEU to pretend otherwise.

Aquaman (2010) Directed by Jonathan Frakes

Arthur Curry/Aquaman = Chris Pine

Thomas Curry = Bill Pullman

Atlanna = Kim Catrall

Mera = Felicity Jones

Orm/Ocean Master = Taylor Kitsch

Vulko = Jonathan Frakes

Dr Stephen Chin = Tadanobu Asano

Black Manta = Idris Elba

If reviewing Trek shows and having already worked a few other Trek alumni into this DCEU isn’t making it clear that I like Trek, having the Aquaman film be directed by and feature Jonathan Frakes should. This guy is a good director and actor, and I’d be curious to see what he might have done with a superhero like Aquaman. Bringing that film forward to 2010 certainly requires making some changes to James Wan’s version, as does the fact that one actor from the 2018 film is already cast in another role within this alternate DCEU.

 For the lead actor, I’ve put in Chris Pine just because I think he’s a closer aesthetic match to the source material.  This then brings about changes all across the board, with swapping out Amber “husband-hurter” Heard being the most crucial.  In her place, we have Felicity Jones, another rare instance where I agree with the internet fan-casting of others.  Frakes plays Vulko in addition to directing the film, and so on.  Plot-wise, the film is similar to the 2018 film in places, but shows Arthur only learning who he is as an adult, and his mother usurped instead of believed executed, among other changes.

Justice League (2010) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Christian Bale

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Brandon Routh

Diana/Wonder Woman = Kate Beckinsale

Green Lantern/Hal Jordan = Ben Affleck

Barry Allen/The Flash = Matt Damon

J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter = Chiwetel Ejiofor

Arthur Curry/Aquaman = Chris Pine

Snapper Carr = Josh Duhamel

Protex/Robert Grey = Keith David/Chris Evans

Primaid/Carla Jones = Zoe Saldana

Armek = Kevin Michael Richardson

Fluxus = Michael Dorn

A-Mortal = David Warner

Tronix = Eric Bana

Zenturion = Dominic Keating

ZüM = James Marsden

Alfred Pennyworth = Michael Caine

Lois Lane = Kate Bosworth

General Swanwick = Harry Lennix

 I often wonder what a Spielberg superhero film would be like, so I figure Justice League would be a good project for him to helm. Unlike the 2017 live action film, we’re not doing anything related to Darkseid on this one, nor are we taking any plot already used by an animated Justice League film.  Instead, this is based on the JLA: New World Order arc by Grant Morrison.  In that arc, a group of alien super-beings come to Earth, supposedly to help, but turn out to be White Martians, the villainous counter-parts to the peaceful Green Martians like J’onn J’onzz.

 As a result, we get a more interesting plot for our heroes, and one that allows the one founding league member without a solo film of his own more plot-time.  A few key supporting cast members from past films also come back, and we also get Snapper Carr worked in, taking the same tack as the Justice League animated series and showing the League’s long-time “sidekick” as a reporter covering the events that transpire.  As to the Martians, I purposely double-cast their leader because all Martians in DC lore are shape-shifters, so I thought having one change actors with a shape-shift would be cool.

 So, that’s my alternate DCEU with Batman Begins as the kick-off point, or at least up as far as a first Justice League film.  If anyone wants to see more of this alternate film universe, or the 90’s Marvel one I did rambles on last year, please let me know.  Until the next ramble, ta-ta for now.

[brandstifter-sys]

Carry On

Five Times Remus Swept Virgil Off His Feet (and One Time Virgil Returned the Favor)

That's a FOB title if I ever saw one

Word Count: 2927                          (Ao3)

Characters: all sides

Pairing: Dukexiety

Rating: T

Warnings: self-doubt, sex mention, swearing, mild gore mention, undertale references, dc comics references, charlie the unicorn references

inspired by @sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes‘ post linked here

One…

Sans. Virgil truly hated this battle, but he was set on finishing this run to get to the true ending the next time around. Too bad he was getting his ass handed to him by a punny pile of bones!

He growled to himself as his fingers frantically danced over the keys. He didn't care if anyone came into the common area while he was there, he couldn't afford the stress from his room and everyone knew to stay away from him or else.

Remus was not one of those sides who did what he was supposed to do all the time. So when he popped up in the common area, he didn't think twice about lounging on the couch next to his favorite emo.

"Oh come on!" Virgil snapped at his computer as he lost again. He clawed at his hair and let out a long, agonized groan before flopping back on the couch. His hands were shaking and his heart was racing. He was one more loss away from committing murder.

"Uh oh!" Remus giggled and got up. He closed the laptop and grinned at Virgil as the emo tried to murder him with his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"Me? Well I have to make a delivery to the Grand Duke of the Imagination! And you have what I need!" Remus hummed and wiggled his shoulders. Virgil scowled and crossed his arms.

"What are you talking about?" he huffed, ignoring the mischievous twinkle in Remus' eyes. That was a mistake!

Remus swooped down and scooped him up bridal style, laughing at Virgil flailing in his arms and squawking like a gull. He would never drop him out of nowhere! Silly emo could trust him!

"I'm taking you to the Grand Duke so he can spoil you and cheer you up! By any means necessary!" Remus purred and winked, bringing a delightful blush to Virgil's face.

"What the hell?"

"You are my damsel in distress and I don't even have to slay a monster to make sure you're okay—unless you want me to, there's definitely a monster I want to see, in your—"

"No. I am so done with monsters today. Don't even make that joke. Just do what you were planning," Virgil huffed and averted his gaze, no longer squirming to get away. Remus could live with that as long as he could keep holding this tall drink of water!

Two…

Remus was just polishing his morning star when he decided it was a good time to harass his brother and talk about the only thing they seemed to agree on: butts!

He appeared in the common area to the sound of a Disney movie, it would have been perfect, but Roman was not alone on the couch. Oh no, he could clearly distinguish a mop of purple hair next to the prince’s own preened locks. Neither one seemed to notice the duke looming behind them, which was good. Surprising Roman was way too much fun!

“How can you claim this isn’t romantic and charming?!” Roman grumbled as Prince Philip and Briar Rose began to dance and sing in the forest. Virgil snorted and shook his head.

“There’s nothing more romantic than a total stranger in his 20s swooping in and interrupting a 16 year old girl’s furry fantasy without an introduction or asking,” Virgil droned sarcastically. He snickered at the offended gasp that came out of the prince’s mouth and shifted in his seat.

“You wanna pause this and grab some popcorn? My leg fell asleep.”

Before Roman could move Remus struck.

“Hello there! The angel from my nightmares, the shadow in the background of the morgue!” he sang and scooped Virgil into his arms, twirling around with the brightest grin imaginable. Virgil squeaked and clung to him, more out of surprise than fear. He should have seen it coming.

“I think my point stands,” Roman teased, smirking at the pair like a cheshire cat. Virgil shot him a death glare, daring him to say anything more while Remus giggled impishly between verses.

“Perhaps you should take care of that leg and we can continue later. I would hate to rob you of a moment like this!” the prince continued, making Virgil flush and plot his end. Remus laughed and brushed Roman off.

“Looks like I’m the dashing heroic prince today! Better luck next time Hoe-man!” he sang and sunk out for some much needed cuddles. Roman rolled his eyes, ignoring the sleight in favor of appreciating how cute those two could be. Plus he could rewatch his movie without critique!

Three…

Virgil was exhausted. After a long study session for the next video, making sure that Logan knew his lines and keeping Janus from making them take a break, all he wanted to do was fall into a coma. But he was still in the common area and he would have company if he didn't move, but that meant moving. He drooped, letting his limbs hang off the couch, wishing he had the energy.

That was a mistake, and he knew that he would regret it. Especially when something slimy glided up the back of his hand.

"Gross," he grumbled, not bothering to look at the culprit. Remus giggled and licked his hand again before kissing it. He got off the floor and on one knee, smiling at his emo.

"You know you love me!" he teased and brought Virgil's hand to his lips again, "You're like my personal damsel in distress and I just love saving you and making you feel like a princess!"

"I'm not a damsel, just tired. Can I take a nap in peace?"

"Not out here, Scare Bear! You know it gets crazy with the others around!" Remus giggled and scooped him up without any struggle.

"If you take me to your dungeon to do horrible things to me in my sleep, make sure I have both kidneys intact."

"No promises, Charlie!" Remus teased and resituated Virgil so he could rest his head on his shoulder, "But I can promise you a comfy bed and the best snuggle buddy ever!"

"You're bringing Winary? Hellhounds don't make for great cuddles. They stink of brimstone," Virgil mumbled against his neck.

"Nope! You get to cuddle with a stinky dukey!" Remus countered and walked towards his room with his precious cargo.

"I'd rather cuddle with you," Virge mumbled and curled into Remus' chest.

"But I am a stinky dukey!" he said, fighting back the urge to squeal. Virgil huffed and wrapped his arms around Remus.

"I like your scent. It's comforting, like a puppy that likes mud."

"You Sir are exhausted!" Remus declared, "And you are taking a long nap with me so you can get that snark back!"

"You better be there when I wake up," Virge answered, barely able to keep his eyes open. Remus was happy and he was sure to be there the whole time.

Four...

"Virgil, you can't just call Remus every time something mildly inconvenient happens. He's not your footman," Janus huffed as Virgil curled into himself. He was going to summon Remus for a good reason. It wasn't his fault that the duke showed up every time he stubbed his toe!

"I know that, Snake-face," he huffed, "I don't actually summon him when they happen. He just knows."

"And you do nothing to stop him. It's not good for you to be dependent on him for everything. There's a fine line between self-care and sinking into bad habits."

"I'm not sinking into bad habits, Janus. I'm fine with being toted around if it makes him feel like he's being heroic instead of a villain."

Janus sighed and shook his head. Virgil had a point, Remus needed to feel wanted and needed. And who better to provide that for him than Virgil? Remus adored him!

"And I want him to show up right now," Virgil mumbled and hugged his knees. His skin was crawling and he was freezing. Was it too selfish for him to want to have Remus hold him and keep him close? Was he taking advantage of Remus wanting to be someone's hero? Was he even good enough to get that kind of attention from the duke?

"Remus!" Janus called out, rather than sit by and watch Virgil spiral. He sank out at the same time Remus appeared.

Remus got one look at Virgil and immediately pulled him into his arms. Virgil melted into him and let out a contented sigh.

"Scare Bear!" Remus cheered and spun on his heels, "My spider sense was tingling! What's wrong, Bitter Sweetie?"

"I just need some creature contact," Virgil grumbled, "and you're the most comfortable creature I know."

"So no slaying your demons or disemboweling anyone?" Remus giggled and dropped Virgil on the couch before flopping on him. Virgil shifted and wrapped his arms around Remus' waist.

"Nah, just don't leave. I need a Cuddlefish."

"And you got me for as long you want!" Remus giggled and nestled his head under Virgil's chin.

"You're gonna be here for a while," Virge hummed and soaked in the warmth Remus provided.

"I don't mind," Remus said, "I like it here!" And that was an understatement.

Five…

Remus was just going to the kitchen for a snack—he had some prairie oysters with his name on them! But he paused in the middle of the hallway when he saw Virgil on a step ladder, painting a wrought iron fence mural over his door. He was so focused, so pretty, Remus had to stare.

"You know, creeping on someone who's on a ladder is considered a bad idea."

"Do I look like the guy who has good ideas?"

"No, I should know better, you like me."

"No talking bad about yourself!" Remus growled and loomed closer.

"Oh, that's not what I meant. I mean you like the one guy who can kick your ass and you keep calling him a damsel. Last I checked, I saved you from the Dragon Witch twice this week alone."

"It was hot!" Remus agreed as Virge bent over to get more paint on his brush, carefully holding onto the wall, "But that doesn't mean you can't be a damsel too! You're like Dick Grayson—perfectly capable of kicking ass, but also very much in need of some saving every so often! Plus I think you'd make those shorts look good! Almost as good as I'd look getting into them!" Virgil jolted away from Remus as he was getting up again and lost his balance.

It felt like forever, falling backwards with nothing to grab onto. He was sure the impact would be annoying, but not terrible. If he were any higher up his instincts could have easily taken over and he wouldn't land on his back. But that impact never came. Instead he landed in a pair of strong arms.

"I knew you'd fall for me and my feral mojo!" Remus giggled down at him. Virgil stared at him for a second before swiping his paintbrush over Remus' nose.

"Sure, Puppy, you tell yourself that," Virgil said with a smirk, "It's not at all because you had the audacity to call me Dick Grayson when I'm more of a Jason Todd."

"You're more of a hottie who needs to snuggle with me after that kind of fall!"

"You really need to consider just asking like a normal person," Virgil jeered and kissed his cheek.

"Why would you ever consider that? Boring! You need some excitement in your life and that's where I come in!"

"I thought you came in—"

"Dirty jokes are my job!"

"I thought you came in like Peter Parker on a wrecking ball. Chaotically trying to save me from every mild inconvenience," Virge reiterated and wrapped his arms around Remus' shoulders before kissing his cheek again. Remus was a happy boy.

And then...

It was just perfect! Remus was so excited to finally have a gift for Patton that he would like! He appeared in the common area in the kitchen, just out of sight of the duo watching Looney Toons. Patton and Virgil were in for a treat!

He set Fluffy on the floor and motioned towards the couch. The little thing sprinted off in a pale pink blur and Remus waited for the cooing and squealing from Patton.

His heart shattered when all he heard were horrified screams coming from the father figure. He sank out to his room and fought the urge to cry. Fluffy would be able to get back to the Imagination without him.

Virgil paused the show and watched Patton scoop up the hairless cat with tears in his eyes.

"Look Virgil!" he cheered and held up the cat like she was Simba, "A kitty I can pet!" Virgil blinked twice, confused as to how a cat found her way into the commons. That's when he spotted the green collar around her neck and the silver tag hanging from it.

"Can I keep her Virge?" Patton pleaded as Virgil checked the tag. He had a hunch that Fluffy was meant to be with Patton.

"You're asking me?" he jeered and got up, "Let's find the guy who made her and ask him. I'm pretty sure Remus set her loose to find you."

"Remus? He made this little angel?" Patton gasped and cuddled her to his chest. She purred and kneaded his hoodie, getting him to squeal again.

"I'll go get him, and let you two get to know each other," Virgil said with a half-smile. Patton beamed and him and sat on the couch, cuddling his new best friend. Virgil sank out before the cuteness became sickening.

But any mushy feelings faded when he appeared in Remus' room. Amid the weapon racks and canopic jars, Remus was curled up on his bed, hiding his head between his knees.

"Octopuppy?" Virgil asked softly and sat next to Remus. The duke looked up at him with his makeup running down his cheeks.

"Scare Bear?"

"What's wrong?" he asked and brushed a stray piece of hair from Remus' face. Remus shook his head and let out a ragged sigh.

"I can't make anything good."

"Your dog is not gonna be happy to hear that."

"She's a hellhound with three heads. She's not good or normal. But she's a good girl," Remus grumbled and wiped his eyes. He was not about to cry again. Virgil coaxed Remus into his lap and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"What makes you think you can't make anything good?"

"I made a cat for Daddykins and I really tried to make her perfect for him. But he screamed at the sight of her. You know, you were there," he pouted and hid his face in Virgil's hoodie. Virgil pouted and held him closer.

"Can I show you something?" he whispered, "Something that can prove you can make something good."

Remus nodded and clung to Virgil as he stood. The emo cradled him to his chest and smiled down at him.

"Looks like you're my damsel this time," he teased and sank out, adoring the blush that crossed Remus' face.

They appeared in the common area kitchen to the sounds of giggles and cooing. Remus looked to Virgil for answers only to get a smirk in return.

"Hey Pat!" Virgil called out and carried Remus into the next room. Patton was curled up in his hoodie, using the string to play with Fluffy. Remus had never seen him so genuinely happy.

"Virge!" he cheered, only to coo at the sight of the gruesome twosome.

"I found Remus, so go ahead and ask."

"Remus, can I keep Fluffy? Please? I'll take good care of her! I promise!"

"I made her for you, so yeah, of course you can," Remus answered, completely stunned. Virgil knew that tone all too well. He had only a matter of seconds before a tsunami of feelings crashed over the duke. He would need cuddles.

"Thank you so much Remus!" Patton squealed and hugged Fluffy, "I'm gonna show her my room!" He sank out, leaving the pair to claim the couch.

"You good, Pup?" Virgil asked and hugged the duke, leaning into the cushions. Remus nodded and nuzzled into his chest.

"Good, because right now you're stuck cuddling with me until my legs fall asleep," Virgil mused and kissed his head. Remus shuddered and his breathing hitched.

"I did good," he whimpered, "I finally did a good and made a good thing."

"Finally? Remus, you make a good thing every day—you make me feel loved. You're my knight in slimy armor."

"That's just cuz I love you."

"I love you too, and I think it's only fair that I get to be your dark knight for a while. Because it's okay to need a little help, even if you don't think you deserve it."

"Who taught you that psychiatry crap?" Remus pouted and hid his face in Virgil's hoodie so no one would see him crying.

"You might know him, he's a wily little imp with a lot of passion, a flair for the dramatic, and macabre tastes. He's a handsome sweetheart and don't even get me started on his butt."

"He sounds like a pain in the neck!" Remus giggled.

"Only if he bites," Virgil snickered, "and he's my hero. So don't you dare try to talk shit about the Grand Duke of the Imagination."

Remus giggled and clung to him. He couldn't ask for a better boyfriend and he was pretty sure he didn't want to either.

[jerseydeanne]

Meghan Markle: The Telegraph can reveal that ‘A Face Without Freckles is a Night Without Stars’ will be going on public display in Washington this summer

When the Duchess of Sussex released her children’s book ‘The Bench,’ inspired by the relationship between Prince Harry and son Archie, it was widely believed that this was her first foray into the literary world.But librarians in Washington DC have unearthed a short story called ‘A Face Without Freckles is a Night Without Stars’ written by the Duchess when she was just a schoolgirl - and The Telegraph can reveal that it will be going on public display. The book appears to chart the Duchess’s personal experiences as a young girl, with particular attention paid to her appearance. One passage says: “Some people think freckles are strange,While I happen to disagree, Because if I didn’t have my freckles, Then I would not truly be me!!!”

Demonstrating her obvious creative flair, the words are accompanied by a drawing of a mixed race girl in a blue skirt and red top, wearing a green necklace with a moon and star pendant and a proud smile on her face. Her legs, arms and face have freckles. While it was never published, the Duchess did obtain copyright for the publication and its title in January 1996, when she was just 14-years-old. Now, more than two decades later, the story has come to light thanks to a tweet by Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, who wrote: “Did you know Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, wrote a book in 8th grade titled, A Face without Freckles... Is a Night Without Stars?“ She extols the wonder of freckles with drawings and verse.” Now, three pages will be put on display at the Library of Congress in Washington DC when it reopens later this summer. It is not known whether researchers found the book or whether they were alerted to its existence by the Duchess, but the library had to get “specific permission from the author” to make it available to the public.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess declined to comment. The book follows an enduring theme for the Duchess, who has spoken about her freckles on a number of occasions. The phrase “a face without freckles is a night without stars” has been credited to her father Thomas, from whom she is now estranged. In an interview with Allure magazine, she said: "To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed out of a photo shoot." For all my freckle-faced friends out there, I will share with you something my dad told me when I was younger: ‘A face without freckles is a night without stars.’ ”Her former makeup artist Lydia F. Sellers on the television series Suits told Refinery 29: "Every time I'd do her makeup, she'd say, 'Can we just make sure my freckles are peeking through? I don't want a ton of foundation'." The book’s ‘About the Author’ page gives an insight into the teenager’s life in Los Angeles.

“Meghan Markle currently attends Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, California and enjoys watching television, spending time with her friends, and participating in musical comedies,” it says.“Meghan wrote this book in the eighth grade as a school project and now wishes to continue writing throughout high school.“ She wants to take a moment to thank her ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ who gratefully spent their time and effort supporting her.” Her children’s book ‘The Bench’ which was released earlier this month evolved from a poem the Duchess wrote for her husband on his first Father's Day. It surged to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, but failed to break the top 50 in the UK during its first week. A spokesperson from the Library of Congress told the Telegraph: “It is wonderful that the book written by the Duchess of Sussex in eighth grade is being applauded by so many on social media." Her message of self-acceptance is inspiring. The public will have an opportunity to see several pages of the book in a new Copyright exhibit that will open soon at the Library of Congress James Madison Building.”

[ravenclaw-questions-gone-writing]

Outline # -1 Abandoned Lore (Trinity)

@fanfics-and-fangirling

I have learned my lesson, I will be writing these on Google docs and then copy-pasting onto Tumblr. While I am on GD, I figured I might as well open the docs I used to write the actual fic. Man, I went through a ton of hoops to get where I am. I will be using the most coherent ones for reference. 

I can literally track my thought process as I went through writing all the different versions and I still have no idea how tf I went from this to dropping a flaming papermache whale on Ra’s Al Ghul. And I will die mad about it. Which means more meticulous notes in the future I guess.

Also, I’d like to apologize for how long it took to get this out, I have no sense of time whatsoever and as always, there’s a lot more than expected. This was 7 pages long

Original Ramble Post 

Like most of my stories, the MC is an OCI - reincarnator brought into a fictional world they once watched. (Because I am obsessed with that trope.)

I now find the original name I had for her cringy and out-of-place given these are norse gods. So, from now on her name is Lokka, which is the female version of Loki

There’s a whole ass backstory about the transition of godly names and power I won’t go into. Just think Thor and female Thor kind of thing I guess. She’s basically seen as a spare Loki but it’s also a respected position.

Was tempted to name her Sigyn since Marvel doesn’t care about actual norse myth relations. No, Idc that there’s a canon Sigyn.

If you’re curious, the original name was Aradia. Yes, like the queen of witches.

MC is an asgardian, the daughter of the librarian in the royal palace and a blacksmith

She managed to get an apprenticeship under Loki and is occasionally taught by Frigga. She also learns under Eir when both her royal teachers are busy.

Lokka found her way into the central plane, probably having found it’s location from Loki’s notes and is unaware that it’s unstable.

So, Lokka is in the central plane, having the time of her life exploring new lands when she stumbles across a crying Marinette who is very lost 

Unlike Lokka, Marinette does not know where she is or what is going on. She literally just tripped into a portal and has no way home.

Lokka takes Marinette under her wing and promises to help her find a way home

Problem is, she doesn’t know which of the three universes Marinette is from.

Even if/when she finds out that the girl is from MLB-verse, she still wouldn’t know which one that is because she has no reference to which world is which. Only that Marinette is probably not from Asgard.

At this point, she is unaware she lived in Marvel, she just knows Asgard is Norse Mythology.

So they continue to wander the central plane, Marinette ends up picking up a card guardian for a pet, accidentally becoming a cardcaptor. 

Marinette has trouble pronouncing Lokka and Lokka gives Mari permission to call her Cosette (pre-reincarnation name)

Meanwhile, Ra’s sends Damian and Talia into the Central plane for combat experience and resource gathering.

Ra’s might be 700 years old, he might have access to the Central plane but he sure doesn’t know about magic or how it came to be or the current state of it. He might know something’s off because all the inhabitants have been increasingly on edge and the weather’s been stranger than usual but he didn’t deemed it important

Notably, he has never seen anyone other than those who he’d sent in himself in the central planes (CP, from now on bc I am getting tired of typing the entire thing out) so as far as he knows, the CP’s only entrance point is under his control.

Talia and Damian, who’s still going by Hafid, go hunting for resources and training

They separate for a bit for individual hunting/training time

Marinette and Cosette (Lokka) stumble across Damian’s camp

Misunderstandings occur, Damian fights them, more accurately he fights Cosette

Cosette tries to protect Marinette while also making sure not to harm her opponent

It was harder than she expected considering her opponent was a child

Asgardian training pulls through and she is able to do both

Damian’s tied up, Marinette is confused, and Cosette does not want to deal with this

Negotiation time

Marinette can’t speak Arabic, Damian doesn’t know french, and Cosette has all-speak

This means Cosette’s sitting there, having to repeat everything the kids say to each other for translation’s sake

also misunderstandings before the kids realize allspeak is a thing

Cosette is stuck with two kids who don’t like each other, one of which barely puts up with her so she does what most adults do when kids are too troublesome

Distract them: she does magic tricks with actual magic

Damian+Marinette are fascinated, Cosette accidentally gains two magic students 

even though she’s still learning herself and all she has for guidance right now are Loki’s and Frigga’s notes

So, the trio end up travelling together

Damian demands Marinette should at least be able to fight so they train her too

They also figure out that Marinette and Damian’s worlds are not the same.

Cosette drills some value of life, basic morals, and feminism into Damian’s head

Marinette and Damian (Hafid) have trouble pronouncing each other’s names

They chose nicknames for each other from Cosette’s bedtime stories

Marinette is obviously angel or Tenko

Damian is gets Kabane, the name of a half demon

Kabane later changes to Kasane, protective blade

Yes, Cosette was/is a weeb and yes, they still mispronounce names which defeats the whole purpose but at least they kids don’t notice now even if Cosette is cringing every time they

They run into another card guardian and this one goes to Damian.

Cosette does not pout about this, it would be very immature

One training montages, several fights, a couple language lessons, and an abandoned (and Cosette-raided) house later, Cosette gets to the part of Loki’s notes where she figures out that the CP is collapsing in on itself and uh-oh

She tells the kids the gist of it but they’re too smart, ask all the right questions, and end up figuring out the important parts of situation that she’s trying to keep from them

Cosette is both impressed and a little put out, mostly impressed because not only did they figure out extremely complex magic, they also mostly remained level headed.

Marinette wants to rescue the card guardians and for once Damian is backing her up so Coestte gives up the notion of returning home and they go collect the guardians.

Remember, DC and MLB universes are closing in on each other 

MCU is drifting away

If they don’t collect the guardians, Cosette would have the time to just drop them off at their world collection points and head back to hers

After collecting a couple guardians, they end up finding Talia and explain the situation to her.

Talia joins the gang, she may or may not be plotting a marriage

They raid a couple more houses, collect the 54 card guardians, and complete the power transfer ritual (replacing the Yue’s trial because the cards are the guardians)

The cards end up latching onto the three kids. 

Marinette gets the Mistress title, Damian gets Sun Guardian, and Cosette gets Moon guardian.

Originally Cosette was going to be the mistress and Marinette the Moon guardian but because of the way I’ve decided magic works in this world - explaining that will need a whole other post - if Marinette is the moon guardian and gets the Ladybug miraculous, she will - for lack of better word - get sick and possibly die... or not.

Y’know what, it made sense at the time. But now that I think about it, we’re going back to the original idea.

Cosette’s the Card Mistress, Marinette’s the Moon guardian and Damian’s the Sun guardian.

Spoiler alert: that is a plot point for tropes-verse.

The completion of the ritual breaks puts CP deteriorations in high acceleration

Damian and Talia get into their circle, Cosette and Marinette in the other

Damian doesn’t have any cards bc he doesn’t want his grandfather trying to get to them. He and Talia agreed Ra’s would only know about the CP’s destruction. He does, however, have a CP beast that they picked up.

CP beast: magical creature that was born of CP’s magical residue or smth

Damian’s looks like a Teddiursa (Teddy bear pokemon) it is not

They have a notebook from a raided house detailing CP’s deterioration for proof

Cosette goes with Marinette because she can’t make it back to her universe and in the event that Marinette’s also from Cosette’s universe, she won’t be alone

They separate with the promise of meeting again.

At this point, I have had several differing ideas

They all go into DC world because they aren’t sure of Marinette’s world

Child trio goes into MLB world and Talia tells Ra’s Damian died

Everyone goes into MLB and Ra’s finds out about the collapse when he tries going in himself and finds out he can’t and just assumes they died

Y’all, I’m starting to see why I can’t do one-shots…

One of the things I forgot to mention in the rambling post is that while Marvel-verse was pulling away, it also messed with the time regulation thing, a day in the Maribat-verse will

Time in CP was very messed up

Kind of assumed readers could piece it together but I figured might as well make it obvious and straight up say it

MLBU: Cosette and Marinette arrive safely 

Marinette is delivered home and Cosette has to figure something out

They find out Marinette has only been gone for a week

Marinette has some separation anxiety for about three days

Cosette slowly realizing this is an MLB universe and having a crisis

Cosette gets adopted by the Dupain-Chengs and starts working at the bakery

I have not figured out ages for Cosette

MLB goes like most Maribat fics pre-gotham because I’m lazy

Will likely be adjusted if I ever actually write this fic

Except Cosette steps in when things got too far and Paris has 3 heroes

Cosette is the known as the Sorciere or Lokka

Her uniform is just her asgardian armor

Good but misguided Adrien, Cosette probably adopts him too

Love square goes platonic and Cosette is glad this rom-com is over

Magic tutoring continues

Cosette is neutral with Fu and fascinated by the miraculous

You remember those ghost interactions? Those are filtering in

One of the first things to merge is the internet, because it doesn’t have a physical body and it’s just waves of information

News and discoveries between the world are being swapped

Given what I remember from DC and dimension travel, it wouldn’t be surprising if they figured out universes were merging.

The news about JL and Paris’s situation are causing all kinds of confusion

Cosette beings looking for information on Damian

As the physical world begins merging, there’s pockets of space where you can slip from one world into another; not quite portals but close

Eventually the trip to NY became a trip to Gotham because their plane slipped between planes (sorry, I saw the chance and I had to take it.) but yeah, that happened.

There’s quite a few details I’m forgetting

DCU: Damian and Talia arrive ok and report bare basics to Ra’s

It has also only been a week

Ra’s is displeased to find them back until they report the state of the CP

There’s the whole coup not long after and Damian is sent to Bruce

Damian is much more innocent looking when he’s bringing what appears to be a teddy bear with him

It’s name is Abd and it has grown wings by now. Actual name pending.

He gets teased about it, but under Cosette’s teachings, he has learned the virtue of patience, underestimation, and getting revenge with a side of entertainment

He does not try to kill Tim either

He also has to make the choice of bringing Abd with him as Damian or as Robin

He choses to make a side company for WE making toys based off creatures from the CP so Abd wouldn’t look too out of place

It takes two weeks for the bats to realize there’s something off about the Abd

They are convinced it’s haunted and Damian is very entertained

Abd only moves in daytime when no one - Damian excluded - can see it

Movement can expel magic that interferes with recording tech

Alfred is the first to figure it out and surprise, surprise, he has some magic books for Damian to learn from

It’s from the Wayne family library and they just assumed the language was lost to time. At least three are from Alfred’s own family.

Bat brothers spend the next 6 months trying to convince Damian his magical pet bear is a haunted doll.

Damian sort of getting along with Poison Ivy because his Sun magic is very compatible with plants and they love him

On an unrelated note, the plants seem to refuse to attack the new Robin

Damian randomly, unconsciously humming to songs Cosette and Marinette sang

Damian just vibing with the magic users of JL and Teen Titans

No one took him seriously at first but he pointed something out during a conference

“Robin, stand down and let the magic users handle this” - Green Lantern, probably

Constantine who actually knows what he’s talking about “No, no, let the boy talk.”

The plan was twice as efficient after Damian was through with it

Now Constantine’s trying to adopt Damian as an apprentice, he’s failing bc the bats are protective and possessive of what is theirs

Reminder that Damian brings Abd with him everywhere and he’s still getting teased about it from anyone who is not a bat (still convinced the thing is haunted)

The only thing the magic users have picked up about Abd is that he’s a magical construct which could mean a number of things but they brush it off as just a doll.

No one is prepared for the thing to come to life, multiply in size, and start spitting ice, sleep sand, and illusions. (Hiccups bubbles and can also turn into a cloud.)

They are also not prepared for the thing to quadruple in size and for Damian to ride it like a horse into battle. Reminder that Abd has wings and can fly.

Confusing talk about what’s going on in Paris and some other parts of the world

JL slowly figure out the universal merger that Damian already knows about

Damian is not impressed, it took him and Angel about 2 hours as 9 year olds

Somehow, Damian still has the ice prince image, less demon spawn though, that goes to Abd

Time moves on and one day, a plane from the other world arrives in Gotham

There’s a bit of confusion but it’s not exactly the first time something like this has happened at this point

WE steps up and offers jobs and a tour and all the usual Maribat plans (not just for the kids but all the other people on the plane)

Given the merger of the internet, MLB class and crew have some idea who the Waynes are and they accept. 

Estimated about 6 months for full merger so people from MLB world are kinda just stuck there until then

Lila literally cannot lie about knowing the Waynes personally but she sure can lie about other things.

Dick and Damian are sent in to monitor the group

The reunion is awkward given they can’t freely interact and are not supposed to know each other. 

While Dick is talking, there are just wide eyed staring between Marinette, Damian, and Cosette. With something a little extra between Marinette and Damian.

Cosette is torn between laughing and groaning at another rom-com trope coming in fast.

She ends up filming it bc blackmail is always good to have

Adrien is confused and quite frankly, he’s really just there to cover for them

The tour begins and about five minutes in, the trio breaks off and exchanges stories and names.

Cosette hears about Batman and has a dawning realization of what this world is, mentally nopes out, later digests that they are going into Maribat verse

Starts checking off Maribat tropes they’re coming across bc she might as well have fun with it

They continue to meet up

Batfam thinking Damian somehow managed to get two girlfriends

Damian choking on his breakfast when it is brought up

The girls are invited to dinner and Damian is just dying inside

Cosette blatantly hitting on all Damian’s brothers in the first 5 minutes

Damian screaming internally while Cosette cackles

Dick is awkward until he realizes it’s a joke, Jason plays along, Tim has an awkward bean crisis

Tim x Cosette? Maybe.

Cosette does that sit and repeat thing at least three times out of habit

Batfam gets full explanation about how they met and everything

I have played with the idea of Cosette getting fear gassed a couple times and Idk how it would go tbh.

That’s as far as I got with this version, so shenanigans ensue

Pretty sure they used the cards and magic throughout even if I didn’t mention it

Absolutely would be useful for being in two places at once

I later changed so the merger happens and then Paris’s heroes meet the Justice League

Damian immediately recognizing Cosette but not Marinette bc magic

still effective but weaker because of Damian’s magic type

He later recognizes Marinette later when she pulls off a move he taught her way back in CP

Nickname confusion for everyone else

Cosette vs Constantine on who gets to teach Damian magic

Damian goes to Paris. They beat Hawkmoth and then go to Gotham.

Also had a general idea of a plot with LoS that never got fleshed out past existing

If we’re going for the rebound version: Cosette reunites with Thor and Loki during the Avengers movie

Also, poor Heimdallr. He probably had a lot of headaches with the universe crash

Accelerated merger because of the convergence in the dark world.

I wanna go with 2012 Avengers towers shenanigans. + Loki and his sort-of but not really daughter

Cosette vs Antman, shrinking/growing, science vs magic.

And then there’s the whole Ironman vs Batman vs Arrow rich boy fight

Hammer x Luthor or Hammer vs Luthor?

Also, Cosette just staring at her home universe in betrayal and being insulted she didn’t think of it earlier because classic Nordic myths had Loki as Odin’s brother and not his son among other things but still

Fight against Thanos is a bit anti-climatic when you give a gremlin murder child magic and a sword that can through anything, including magical artifacts.

this baby boy can and will fight God and Cosette’s not really the kind to hold him back

If I actually wrote this, a lot of things would probably change because I’d actually have to put more thought into logistics and how things work

[jadeile-writes]

Fanfic Progress Update 150

It’s still January and I’m lowkey disappointed in time for that.

No spoilery glimpses into any fic(s) at the end, cause I don’t have anything that’ll be posted anytime soon. Eventually, tho.

Current WIPs:

Rolling with it

Fandom: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Summary (temporary): Link finds out that Revali doesn’t understand sign language, so he decides to get through a conversation by miming and showing emotions, just this once. Turns out Revali is (somewhat) less of an asshole once he understands the reason behind Link’s quietness. Link/Revali.

Progress: Chapters 1-3 have been edited and are ready. Chapter four is still just almost done... as in, I didn’t finish it today, because I’ve been suffering from flu/cold/whatever the entire effing January on-off and today my brain feels too fuzzy to do shit.

Dude. I began this miserable mcfucking year by spraining my wrist. Then a couple of days later I catch the cold and thus I spend a week on sick vacay for the wrist but also conveniently for the cold. Then I get one (1) extra day at the start of the next week for the cold, but can’t ask for more cause I’m starting to feel/look fine. And I do actually feel like 90% fine for about two days before I start feeling a bit worse again and just kinda hide it at work cause I can’t ask for another sick vacay that soon for shit like “Whoops, I think the cold is coming back”. So I act like I’m not sick for two more days until it’s the weekend and I can stay bundled up and try to get better. Again, after the rest I feel moderately fine for a couple of days at work and then I’ve been feeling worse again, woop! Yesterday I was coughing quite a lot and today I feel lowkey fuzzy and lack the energy to do anything I meant to do today (some of which is getting kinda urgent). I effing hate this stupid cold-ridden month by now and I resent having to work instead of getting to stay at home to properly get better. Here’s two bigass middle fingers at 2022 and Januaries and colds and worklife in general t( -_- t )

—–

Hah! Our afterlife is the most hilarious bushwa, dearest

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Summary: This is not a stand-alone story! This is a oneshot/drabble collection in the universe as “Shit, the Radio Demon is a part of my afterlife”. Read the main story before bothering with this one.

I decided to give my readers a chance to throw Radiohusk prompts at me, and had the Afterlife-verse as an option to set the stories in. Everyone liked that, so this fic is now a thing. Enjoy the extra mischief from these two dorks!

Progress: Chapter 28 is the current latest chapter and was posted on 27th of November 2020. Chapter 29 is technically written, but I’ll need to look it over to see if I want to tweak it before I can call it done, cause I remember being unsatisfied. The scheduled posting date is Some Friday, and there will be a sneak-peek on the Previous Thursday. Chapter 30 is half-done as well and is basically the only actual thing holding this fic back. … -sobs in absolutely horrible author-

Note to new people who might be looking at this: I’m not taking prompts anymore. These will be the last chapters, and then the fic will be done.

—–  

Other WIPs I’m not currently working on but intend to get back to someday:

PoE Drabbles (Pillars of Eternity)

DC Drabbles (Justice League)

Diaphanous Relations (Forgotten Realms, R.A. Salvatore’s books)

A bunch of Hazbin oneshots and chapter fics, some started, some just on the idea phase. There’s… there’s a lot…

—–

That’s it for the WIPs! Here’s a space that’ll eventually have sneak-peeks for future fanfics and/or chapters again, once I have something relevant to show.

—–

That’s it this time. See you next Saturday!

Links:

My AO3   My FFnet   My Ko-fi    Radiohusk Discord Server

[izukult]

This is such a cute idea! I’m addicted to making weirdly specific Spotify playlists so this is perfect. I have an ✨eclectic✨ music taste but my favorites are usually bedroom pop (mxmtoon, chloe moriondo, khai dreams, etc), romantic classical (think Debussy and Revel), and indie (although I like some Megan Thee Stallion, AC/DC, Nirvana, etc when I’m hyping myself up). As far as my personality goes, I’m pretty insightful and like to support people whenever I can, even if I don’t know them well. I can be a little chaotic sometimes, but I like to think it’s a chaotic good. I love tea, blankets, philosophy, deep conversations, the outdoors, and writing. I’m also an INFP and a Taurus :)

Sorry if that was too much, thank you so much! Take care of yourself and stay well

- Elle ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

( @snoozless ) you don’t understand how bad i want to be your friend. 😐😐 ok so you kind of get bonus 😀 but it rly might not be bonus because akfjakdkw. so, i gave you matsukawa!! but he’s not always like revered about so if u want a character lmk!! i am. in love w him tho. you’re so sweet you would balance him out and yall would be equally chaotic together.

he would have philosophical questions w u!! he might just be a little blunt & might accidentally cut the convo short, but he would listen to everything you said.

he’s used to a wide variety of music bc i’m convinced the seijoh playlists are absolutely fucking cracked like so loud. so he really could sit there and listen to anything. and i mean ANYTHING. like if you wanted to put on christian rock he’d awkwardly try to tap his foot on beat for you.

but, that doesn’t mean he’s gonna geek over you i feel like he’d be pretty private about the relationship. he’s not like secretive but he’s not gonna post you every two seconds yknow? he wouldnt put prom photos, but if yall went to look at the stars or go on a little hike he’d take a pic and youre wearing baggy sweats and one of his shirts and your hair isnt brushed for shit and it’s way too dark to properly make your face out and he’d put that shit on his main absolutely 😒

this man would be the kind of mf to look up his “crush’s” zodiac just for shits & giggles, so if he randomly knows a taurus fact, don’t question it<3 (he looked up your compatibility and he will take that to the grave)

issei is an infp idc. so yall got that in common.

he’s genuinely so pretty.

bc i took so long, i’m going to put descriptions for all the songs i love you thanks for requesting sorry for taking forever i’ll link the playlist and list the songs<3

1. silly girl- chloe moriondo

okay while this song is actually kinda sad, i think tHIS is pretty cute. issei comes off as this intimidating guy, and the more you get to know him the more you forget ab this idea of him you had or whatever? like the lyrics “i made him perfect, cause i wanted him to be” are really prominent in the point i’m tryna make because like even tho the lyric is obviously sad bitch shit, music is up for interpretation and this is like “hello ok he actually a real mf and shiiit maybe he cool😁✊”

2. nice boys- TEMPOREX

kinda sad. i don’t care how unemotional he might act, everyone has shit that brings them down. PLUS HES A PISCES THERES NO WAY HES NOT SAD SOMETIMES. this song just really taps into insecurities for him, and the song just gets under his skin in like a very therapeutic way. also “because he’s a pisces” some of his emotions are super intense so the “because he cares too much” line hits him fuckin hard

3. IV. sweatpants- childish gambino

this is some shit he listens to more with his team, absolutely. no doubt they blare this shit during weekly practice. but, he really really likes the song. so, when you’re hanging out and he has the aux? it’s one of the first ones he puts on. you two jam to it together. he’ll come up w dumb little dances to fit with certain lyrics (stole some of them from oikawa and hanamaki, but he won’t tell you)

4. you get me so high- the neighbourhood

okay unfortunately i must say him and hanamaki get fuckin faded in empty fields at two am all trashy like. but they make it look good idc. and if you smoke, cool, if you don’t he does not care. he always associated getting high with,,, getting high and everytime he listened to this song it just was one of his getting blazed jams, but now he’s got like a different kinda “euphoric” feel with loving you? like i said this bitch is a pisces even if he doesn’t overwhelm you with affection, he thinks ab you 24/7

5. 80’s makeout session- dacelynn

thIS SONG IS SO CUTE. but it’s p self explanatory. in love and also spare a kiss pls

6. can i call you tonight- dayglow

i feel like actually coming to terms with genuine feelings for someone would be kind of weird for issei. like no offense, but he sees it as kind of a pain in the ass. i genuinely think he would be someone to put his all into work or a task in front of him. he’s super intuitive, and constantly uses it to be better. whether it’s in volleyball or like cremating ppl i guess (HE WORKS INA FUNERAL HOME POST TIME SKIP IF U DIDNT KNOW). and it’s the same in relationships, but it’s also harder because he can’t have this complete clear head because you make his brain go kinda fuzzy. so, this song is like his little way of expressing that even tho he was like ‘internally conflicted’ this mf chose to go for it and that’s how much u mean to him

7. clair de lune, L. 32- claude debussy

i’m gonna be fucking honest with you. even though he’ll listen to anything, i really don’t think this man is looking up ‘classical romance study tunes’ playlists in his free time. he definitely enjoys the music, but that’s only if someone points it out to him. and he’s listened to you talk about it before, and watched you as you heard the piano and gauged your reactions and thought u were pretty cute he’s not gonna lie😼. so he definitely just looked up classical romance and picked the first recommended song and added it on there. he’ll dance w you a lil bit, but it wouldn’t be that quiet, intimate slow dancing in the dark you think would come w this song. itd just be a little sway as he hugs you from behind while you get water, or he twirls you once randomly with a laugh UGH I LOVE HIM

8. like real people do- hozier

ok. this one was fun for me. idc. double meaning lol. so this song is literally about two dead bodies in a bog and ,,, and he works in a funeral home PLS LMAOFJAJDJA I THINK THATS SO FUCKING FUNNY AND SO DOES HE. but also this song literally is my idea of love. this is my idea of love. and yall listen to it, with your stupid little death joke, but he looks at you and he’s just like ‘oh’. yknow? YKNOW?

9. BS- still woozy

like i said, i think he puts a lot into work. and he literally plays for a powerhouse school there’s no way he doesn’t practice a lot. so that means there’s a lot of time where he’s physically not there and definitely can’t text, because he’s trying to improve. and while he wouldn’t stop volleyball for someone else, he understands that you are like super amazing for being so Cool with him not being the most available. the song just reminds him of how compassionate you are and also he does miss u when he’s at practice YKNOW?

10. i <3 u- boy pablo

this one made me so fucking soft ew. ok. this song reminds him of you so so much. he’s totally okay being vulnerable with you? and even though he has pretty heightened emotions, he’s never felt like so strongly for smth other than like ??? volleyball and caring ab his siblings (BUT HE FEELS DIFFERENT FOR U THAN HE DOES FOR A VOLLEYBALL AND HIS SIBLINGS PLEASE😁). HE LUVVVVV YOU

11. heart-shaped box- nirvana

so many reasons. for one, simply fucking JAM. yall would scream this on a drive. if you ever got drunk together, this would be the first song you play. also, little lyrics remind you of each other. (the pisces lyric in the first and third verse, and even tho the flowers aren’t being used in a sweet sense in the song he does remember talking ab flowers w u, and now any flower is mentioned and he’s like “ah yes. my girlfriend.”)

12. pluto projector- rex orange county

FUCK. FUCK THIS SONG. GOD. NO. LIKE HE REALIZES HE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU WITH THIS SONG. HE T E L L S YOU HE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU WITH THIS SONG. the first time, he just sends you the name of it like ‘pluto projector <3’ and you listen and it’s so sweet and ur like ayo turn this shit up. and he adds it to your playlist, which definitely gets a smile from you. and then one night like two weeks later youre just laying together, and he’s running his fingers through his hair and he pulls away for a second to grab his phone and he turns the song on and you just listen to it in silence and it’s so fucking intimate. and he’s just like “i don’t think i’ve ever related to a song more” and you think he’s making a joke so you tell him to shut up (also jokingly) and he just laughs and it’s dark in his room and he’s playing with your hair again and he just goes “god, if you’re telling me to shut up over that i don’t even want to imagine how you’re gonna react when i tell you i love you” and it’s right around 3:10 in the song i’m literally so gone for him. bye you cry and try to hide it but he can tell HES PERCEPTIVE

13. i wanna be yours- arctic monkeys

okay for one, it’s a good song. it’s a song he absolutely let’s play in the background, just to cover the static lol. but also? ALSO? THE TITLE APPLIES TO YOU THE FUCK? it’s as if,,, he’s whipped,,

14. supermassive black hole- muse

hanamaki prolly showed him this song, and it’s one of his vibe songs. he will do falsetto while singing it if he’s in a really good mood and it just makes everyone laugh, including himself. it actually kind of grosses him out, because this song used to literally just be a song he would aimlessly go hard to but NOW his little bitch ass is like “you set my soul alight”? i guess i relate and “oh baby, i’m a fool for you” well, surely i’m not a fool but yea i get you muse sing it. it’s so gross. at this point he wants one thing that doesn’t make him think of you, just to prove that he’s not that gone, but he struggling

15. desperado- rhianna

i’m sorry to say it but this song makes him feel like a bad bitch LMAOOOOO. like if he’s ever getting pregame jitters or anything, he will just play this song. whether it’s on the speaker or in his headphones, he puts this shit on full volume and gets a lil too cocky LOL. this is also on the main seijoh playlist no doubt. he wants to share his bad bitch song w you, so you can aLSO feel like a bad bitch?? dUH

IM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT BABES! IF YOU WANT ANY OF THE SONGS CHANGED (or even the character) LMK!! UR AMAZING ur so sweet it makes me ill

[fezwearingjellybananas]

Tagged by the always lovely @annnesbonny, thank you

How many works do you have on AO3?

172

What’s your total AO3 word count?

866,426 words which is quite a few. I'm currently trying to see if I can hit a million by the end of next year but it's not so much a set goal as it is a game I'm playing with myself

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

There's mostly DCTV ones (mostly Flash but they can all be grouped as one thing), MCU and Agents of SHIELD, Doctor Who, a couple of The Adventure Zone ones, there's one Justice League 2017 film one and a few Flash Comics ones which are both more DC, a Good Omens one, Sherlock, one Librarians which is actually in a fic collection not tagged with Librarians because it was only the one fic out of all of them, I did write Harry Potter and Merlin and one Percy Jackson once way back when on FFN but they didn't make it over to AO3, so I think 13 unless you put all the DC and Marvel things together?

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Crossed Wires (DCTV, Barry/Eddie, I wrote this one in an hour after getting stuck for days trying to come up with something to fit the prompt)

Mis-sent (DCTV, Barry/Cisco, also a prompt fill for a ship week, it's a wrong number/college AU texting fic, figuring out the format was interesting)

"Just sleep in my damn shirt" (DCTV, Barry/Eddie, this was a prompt fill that didn't even get a proper title?)

Milk and Sugar (DCTV, Iris/Caitlin, this turned into a very long series, it was an accident but is also my little baby)

Flash Red; Vibe Blue (DCTV, Barry/Cisco, this remains the only fic I have stopped writing halfway through so I could run to Tesco, buy yeast, and bake bread because I was writing about baking bread and couldn't think of anything else until I had a bowl sitting in the airing cupboard. I made bread multiple times because of this fic.)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do, I don't always know what to say, I often feel like I'm bad with words and knowing what to say to people, but I very much appreciate the comments so I do want to thank people at least

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Ashes to Ashes, it's the end of Inifinty War/very beginning of Endgame fic for the Marvellous Ladies of DC AU so there's a lot of character death (but it'll get better later)

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't for a while but I have, the Percy Jackson fic was a crossover with Doctor Who where Rory Williams ends up helping various Roman demigods during his two thousand years hanging around as a plastic Roman but that was just on FFN and I don't think I still have it saved. I forgot the Star Wars/MCU one (that makes 14 fandoms total, and was also only on FFN) which was Mace Windu's lightsaber poked him in the eye as he fell out the window after being zapped by Palpatine and he fell into a portal and became Nick Fury which was inspired by a conversation with my brother

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I had a few "constructive critisim" comments that were just critisisms which is why I don't think I have anything on the FFN account anymore. I panicked.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do not, smut is not my thing.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Someone asked once but I didn't hear anything after that so I don't know if they finished it or not

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

The Marvellous Ladies of DC mentioned above is a collaborative AU with @agentmarymargaretskitz

What’s your all time favourite ship?

I guess Westallen? That's the one that most commonly tends to slip in in other fics, and I do enjoy other ships featuring Iris and Barry seperately but also sometimes that just turns into poly with Iris and Barry together again

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I have had a Cynco role reversal featuring comic stuff too in the to write folder for so long that could be a long fic but keeps being put behind other things and not written so I might just stick what I have up in the AU Snippets collection

What are your writing strengths?

I have had some compliments on bits of dialogue recently which was nice

What are your writing weaknesses?

Spelling. I think I might need to work on descriptions more, I often feel like I mostly write dialogue and need more of the inbetween bits.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think it depends? Suddenly switching languages can be quite jarring when you're reading, especially when it's to a languge you don't know and there are no translations so for something like that when the POV character is speaking in another language they're fluent in I would probably write in English and use the descriptor tag to note it's in another language, but if it's someone else speaking another language and the POV character isn't fluent I might use the jarring switch intentionally? If they understand some then you can incorporate translations into the text because they're going to be trying to translate what's being said either aloud or in their head and they probably will miss out bits of the conversation and misunderstand so having the character (and the reader) missing part of the information is kind of the point? And little bits, nicknames, the odd word, swearing in French so the pardon my French is used literally and using it to drop this other character actually speaks French too, that's fine, it's just the big paragraphs switching.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

It was a Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover (because I got into fanfiction because my friend sent me several to read) and I panicked about publishing it for months. I did not tell that friend I had published any fics.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

I feel bad picking favourites, but I did enjoy writing Ghosting which is a DCTV Cisco/Hartley fic, that was for the Hartmon Halloween event and was different to what I usually write so was fun to play around with and see what works and what doesn't (and considering I started by saying "I'll do no research for this because they also don't know what's going on" I ended up reading a lot about plastering), and I had some really lovely comments on Ghosting which did all make me cry a lot.

The Milk and Sugar 'verse is possibly cheating because it's a series but I was working on that for a long time so I think I'll always have a bit of a soft spot for that one (and it gave me an excuse to read so much science, that series has sources). The Superhero in the Bath, The Night Shift, and Flash Red; Vibe Blue (all DCTV Barry/Cisco) were fun to write too, The Superhero in the Bath has one of my favourite openings, The Night Shift's literal kiss of life is probably my favourite kiss I've written (and my favourite "can I count this as a pun or not" bit), and the bread I made while writing Flash Red; Vibe Blue tasted good too, the recipe was on the yeast pot, it's my go to bread recipe now, it lives in my head. Outfits (DC, Hal/Barry/Iris) was for the DC Poly Week and was my favourite out of those prompts because it was just a little bit of fluff (fun fact about the DC Poly week, 4 out of 7 are Hal/Barry/Iris fics, if you read it as one 'verse it's snippets of their relationship in reverse order), Museum Visits (DC, gen featuring Barry, Iris, and a tiny Wally) was just short and sweet, Double Back (DCTV, gen from the Flash & Hawkgirl series which is Iris/Kendra with a side Barry/Cisco) was really fun to write (the whole series is but that fic is based on Flashback which is one of my favourite episodes) and Vibe and the Flash (DCTV, gen from the Tess Lives AU which features Barry/Iris) had a bit that wasn't planned but showed up while I was writing and I'm so glad it did (the thing those two have in common is I guess I enjoy writing Eobard Thawne being a dick), I really don't think I can pick one favourite, I think, even if there are hard points and some are from a while ago and I would probably do differently now, I've enjoyed writing everything I've written, it's why I wrote them.

Tagging @agentmarymargaretskitz, @starstruckpurpledragon, @incendiaglacies, and @squireofgeekdom if you would like?

[yeomanstuff]

Megan Conner -PL 12

Strength 0, Stamina 2, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 9, Intellect 2, Awareness 4, Presence 5

Advantages

All-out Attack, Improved Critical: Blast 5, Improved Initiative, Luck 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Ultimate Effort: Will

Skills

Acrobatics 2 (+4), Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Cop Culture 2 (+4), Intimidation 7 (+12), Perception 4 (+8), Persuasion 11 (+16)

Powers

Blast: Blast 15 (DC 30)

-Blast: Blast 10 (Alternate; DC 25; Multiattack0

-Blast: Line Area Blast 12 (Alternate; DC 27; Line Area: 5 feet wide by 30 feet long; Reduced Range: close)

-Create: Create 12 (Alternate; Volume: 32000 cft., DC 22)

-Flight: Flight 15 (Alternate; Speed: 64000 miles/hour, 120 miles/round)

-Healing: Healing 9 (Alternate; Persistent, Restorative, Stabilize)

-Move Object: Move Object 15 (Alternate; 800 tons)

-Snare: Snare 10 (Alternate; DC 20)

-Strike: Strike 15 (Alternate; DC 30; Penetrating)

Device (Easily Removable)

-Enhanced Trait: Enhanced Trait 12 (Traits: Expertise +4 (+6), Expertise +4 (+6), Advantages: Improved Critical, Ranged Attack 7)

-Senses: Senses 8 (Darkvision, Penetrates Concealment: Vision, Analytical: Vision, Tracking: Vision 1: -1 speed rank)

Flight: Flight 5 (Speed: 60 miles/hour, 900 feet/round)

Immunity: Immunity 10 (Life Support)

Protection: Protection 13 (+13 Toughness)

Offense

Initiative +6

Blast: Blast 10, +9 (DC 25) Multi Attack

Blast: Blast 15, +9 (DC 30)

Blast: Line Area Blast 12 (DC 27)

Grab, +9 (DC Spec 10)

Move Object: Move Object 15, +9 (DC 25)

Snare: Snare 10, +9 (DC Dog 20)

Strike: Strike 15, +9 (DC 30)

Throw, +9 (DC 15)

Unarmed, +9 (DC 15)

Complications

Destructive Savior: Megan goes out of her way to do everything she can save lives, but rarely cares about property damage, save when it would actually endanger people. As such, she tends to have a well deserved reputation for destroying everything in her way.

Workaholic: Megan is a member or reserve member of several heroic organizations, and is usually on the go across the planet at any given point in time, to the point where she has little time for a personal life, and often drives herself to the point of exhaustion.

Enemy: Dang Near Everyone: Due to her brusque many and tendency to shoot first the moment anyone declines an offer for surrender, Megan has managed to make enemies ranging from Doc Otaku to Istvatha V’han, the Empress of A billion dimensions.

Defense

Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 7, Toughness 15, Will 15

Power Points

Abilities 52 + Powers 83 + Advantages 6 + Skills 16 (32 ranks) + Defenses 23 = 180

Description: A bit taller than average with slightly wavy, shoulder length brown hair. Megen usually dresses in black, slightly tattered dresses. Over this she generally wears a jacket with a stylized flaming skull on the back, and a pin with the insignia of the Green lantern Corps on the lapel.

History: Megan was, as a girl, slightly shy and withdrawn, always feeling that her life was missing something. Her childhood was normal, and she had nothing to complain about, something just felt... off. As she grew older she became more and more bitter with what she felt was wrong with the world, and an inability to make any lasting changes. She did volunteer work throughout high school, but never felt she was really helping.

After graduating high school she moved to Freedom City to attend Freedom City University. It was during her first semester there that she was approached by a talking cat. The cat, named Max, explained that he was supposed to have met her ten years previous to gift her with phenomenal magical powers.

Max pressured Megan to show up for a Freedom League recruiting for new members and Megan was accepted into an auxillary group for a time. During this time Megan quickly came out of her shell and grew to love her powers, growing a tad overeager to use them, during which she gained the nickname “Sailor Beamspam" and a not undeserved reputation as one of Freedom Cities more violent (although not bloodthirsty) super-heroes.

She slowly grew out of this, stopped dying her hair black, dropped her more sarcastic comments, stopped trying to hide her more geeky interests and though her reputation persisted, she came to like herself and her place in the world.

Then she lost her powers, sacrificing them to save other heroes during a particularly nasty fight Though powerless Megan attempted to continue helping The Freedom League from the sidelines, though not a successful as she would wish.

Then, while tagging along on a mission into deep space she was seperated from the League, left adrift in an escape pod. She spent two days drifting, alone, watching the lift support slowly fade. With only a few hours left her pod was found by Simon, last of the Green Lanterns.

Simon took her with him on his next stop searching for the mythic Green Lantern, Mogo and the two explained their respective stories. Simon expressed a desire to help her with her power issues, and Megan a desire to help him rebuild the Green Lantern Corps. As such, Simon created a ring an battery for her. He spent several weeks giving her some basic training with the ring while they searched for Mogo, and then gave her a message explaining things to Earth's other resident Green Lantern before she returned home.

As a Green Lantern on Earth she acted mostly as a member of the Los Dios Police Department. During which time she eventually regained use of her powers, the most likely cause attributed to temporary burn out due to overuse.

After leaving she acted as an absent mentor figure to the newly formed Chicago branch of the Avengers, the team being bankrolled by her college friend and roommate, Lisa. Lisa' feelings for Megan would come out publicly during the groups visit to the Pirate Planet Xeron, which had been trapped in a pocket dimension (and which was home to the realm of Equestria). At the conclusion of which, Lisa and Megan left the group, remaining on Xeron while Megan helped Queen Celestia return the planet to the material universe. She has since returned to Earth.

Personality: Megan tends to be direct and to the point. She's almost always give her opponents a chance to surrender, but the moment they chose to fight, she'll use overwhelming force to put them down.

Abilities: Megan is a magical girl powered by Hope itself in some nebulous fashion. While she can apply this in a number of ways, and has shown the ablity to learn spells and techniques from other magic users, Megan tends to favor powerful energy bursts. Her device is Eternal Hope, a sentient techno-magical artifact, believed to be of Atlantean origin.

Woooo boy. Megan Conner. Megan's a good example of the depth, history and weirdness of the Crinoverse. She started as a PC in a game Crinos ran that sadly ended quickly. There she was a depressed overpowered goth magical girl, me having spent the previosu two weeks binging Nanoha, Gurren Lagann and Sailor Nothing. She quickly gained the nickname “Sailor Beamspam.”

But as Crinos was starting the verse, he decided to throw her in as an existing NPC. A few months later he was starting up the first Crinoverse game, and I decided to run her as a PC. There, she'd lost her powers in the meantime and showed up as a Green Lantern (Who in the Crinoverse are run by Simon from the above mentioned Gurren Lagann), and eventually having her old powers return. But in the intervening time she’d come in to her own a lot. She was comfortable in her own skin, and quite liked saving people and being a hero.

She’s ended up showing up here and there in supporting roles in a number of campaigns, having become the ultra-busy destructive savior. I kinda see her average day like the Samaritan in the first issue of Astro City. Moving from crisis to crisis. Just, ya know, with more destruction left in her wake.

[dustedmagazine]

Jennifer Kelly 2020: I’m done expecting next year to be better

Not to belabor the point, which has been covered everywhere, but 2020 sucked. My last live concert was on March 7th. It was 75 Dollar Bill in a beautiful reconfigured industrial space on the Amherst College campus, and I already had questions about whether I should be there or not. The show was worth it, absolutely riveting, and no one I know got sick from it, but a couple of weeks later, Amherst College shut down and then, basically, the world.

When I think about 2020, I think about bands that don’t fully make sense unless you see them live, and how, this year, no one got to see them live. I think about musicians who were barely making it before, now cut off from concert revenues and, in a lot of cases, day jobs at restaurants, coffee shops and bars. I think about six-digit medical bills from multi-week COVID-19 treatments, and how my insurance will only cut that to low five figures. I think about the constant spew of bile and nonsense, the willful destruction of American institutions and the persistent sense that we will never recover from any of this, and I look for refuge.

Most of the time in music. Because the music kept coming even when everything else shut down. Even the artists who were holding back for better conditions ended up releasing EVERY ALBUM ON EARTH starting about September 18th. There was always music, good music, interesting music, beautiful music, and while that doesn’t compensate for a terrible year, it was something.

Here are 10 albums I loved best from 2020, with links to reviews or other articles I’ve written about them.

1. Gunn-Truscinski — Soundkeeper (Three Lobed)

Soundkeeper by Gunn-Truscinski Duo

A gorgeous exploration of mood and tone, this double CD set includes two extended live cuts and ten more recorded just down the road in Easthampton, Massachusetts. (And I thought nothing ever happened up here.) “Pyramid Merchandise” punches the hardest, John Truscinski balancing rock solid beat keeping with abstracted sculptures of percussive experiment, while Gunn finds the sweetness and the growl in his blues-touched guitar sound. But “Ocean City” is pure lovely respite, with big rounded notes dropping slowly and with grace through wavering transparencies of sustained tone. Long, searching, “Soundkeeper” will rekindle your longing for live improvised music, while the closer “For Eddie Hazel” vibrates with supercharged intensity, the notes and the steady rhythm too bright and beautiful to look at straight on.

2. Six Organs of Admittance — Companion Rises (Drag City)

Companion Rises by Six Organs of Admittance

Chasny imbues the down-home with wonder and the inexplicable with natural grace in this album inspired by stargazing. The album’s name references the way Sirius appears close to Orion, and the rollicking “The Scout Is Here,” commemorates the appearance of the Oumuamua asteroid, but this is no squiggle-y space opera. The music is mainly made of clean, all-natural picking, blues bends, and rambling jangle, though ruptured, periodically, by rushing, whooshing, amplified electronic sounds. Warm, simple clarity is tipped with awe in finger-picked “Black Tea,” while mists and mysteries predominate in evanescent “Worn Down to the Light,” but the joy comes in the balance between the ordinary and the unknowable shimmering like stars in a black sky.

3. Gil Scott-Heron and Makaya McCraven — We’re New Again (XL Recordings)

When the estate of Gil Scott-Heron asked Chicago composer, percussionist and hip hop chopper Makaya McCraven to reimagine the artist’s last, most personal album, McCraven jumped at the chance to tackle its themes of black struggle, black family and perseverance. McCraven surrounded Scott-Heron’s words with shimmering, post-jazz arrangements that incorporated some of his father’s recordings (his dad is jazz drummer Stephen McCraven) in an ongoing tribute to the blood relatives who shape and equip young black men for a challenging world. The music is wonderful, very different from the original, spare, blues-based arrangements, but they open out the master’s words in an illuminating way. I like, especially, the hustling, shuffling movement of “New York Is Killing Me,” which summons the city’s energy as clearly as the feel of heat rising out of a subway grate in August.

4. Obnox — Savage Raygun (Ever/Never)

Savage Raygun by Obnox

Obnox’s psychedelic mayhem roars like a California wildfire, setting a torch to rock, soul, hip hop, jazz and punk with fuzz-crusted abandon. Icons like Hawkwind flare out and curl into white-hot ash, while even Neil Young’s lick from “Southern Man,” is consumed in the all-encompassing heat of Lamont Thomas’ onslaught (“Young Neezy”). A double album, Savage Raygun covers a lot of ground, but in such a kinetic rush that it seems like one entity that stretched from end to end.

5. Anjimile — Giver Taker (Father/Daughter)

Giver Taker by Anjimile

Anjimile sounds beautifully comfortable with their new vocal range in this second full-length, which follows a gender transition. Pitched low and warm, their voice effortlessly navigates subtle melodies, integrating complex, African-leaning rhythms into songs about love, identify, family friction and the possibility of redemption through embracing one’s authentic self.

6. Osees — Protean Threat (Castleface)

Protean Threat by Oh Sees

John Dwyer has fronted bands called The O.Cs., The Ohsees, Thee Ohsees and now just Osees, evolving from a one-man bedroom pop outfit to a gleefully slopping garage pop project to a droning, krautrocking motoric monster along the way. This newest iteration takes a little of this, a little of that, from the repertoire, putting Dwyer’s best Bo Diddley-esque stomper in years (“If I Had My Way”) next to a wiggy psychedelic freak bomb called “Toadstool” which is adjacent to the dub-scented, narcotic head trip called “Gong of Catastrophe.” The mix works because Dwyer and his band commit to all of it, sequentially and within tracks. It’s the best Osees in years, all the good things in one package.

7. Sam Amidon — S-T (Nonesuch)

As always, Amidon starts with traditional, mostly folk and blues material and, as always, he transforms it into something more adventurous, spiritual and faintly otherworldly. With Shahzad Ismaily and Antibalas’ Chris Vatalaro to back him up, he breaks down the unyielding contours of pre-modern banjo tunes and porch blues, finding steady drones and complex afro-beat syncopations in their steady melodies. You can hear “Cuckoo Bird” a million times in a million different voices and never hear it as luminous and open-ended as here.

8. James Elkington — Ever Roving Eye (Paradise of Bachelors)

James Elkington is always pressed for time, maybe because he works regularly for so many other people’s bands (Richard Thompson, Jeff Tweedy, Spencer Tweedy) and collaborates with others (Steve Gunn). And yet his second solo album brims with balm and solace; he finds time in the interstices between warm, jazz-scented, Pentangle-esque verses and intricate flurries of picked and strummed and electric guitar. Even “Nowhere Time,” which exhorts “It is time for you to move,” has an ease and calm to it, while “Moon Tempering” is as still and lovely as winter starlight. Ever-Roving Eye is an album that assures us we’ll get it all done somehow, but just stop for a minute and listen.

9. Jehnny Beth — To Love Is To Live (Arts & Crafts)

This riveting solo debut from the Savages frontperson is both quieter and more intense than her full-band compositions, juxtaposing incendiary spoken word with the hedonistic thump of the dance floor. Guests are varied—Joe Talbot of IDLES at one pole, the actor Cillian Murphy at the other—but the music never drifts from Jehnny Beth’s singular viewpoint. Compare her to PJ Harvey or Beth Gibbons or Bobby Gillespie as you will (I did), but this is her 100%, and there’s nothing else like it.

10. Cable Ties — Far Enough (Merge)

Far Enough by Cable Ties

Australia churns out quality punk bands like the Hershey factory makes kisses, and Cable Ties, formed in Melbourne by four young rebels, ranks as one of the best to surface here in America this year. “Tell Them Where to Go” is the money track here, all rust-crusted bass crunch and ragged estrogenated vocal energy. But let’s not put them in the “girl band” ghetto. As I said in my review, “The easy thing would be to compare McKechnie’s vibrato-zinging vocals with those of Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker or her verbal agility to Courtney Barnett, but the blunt force and agile violence of the music, brings to mind post-punk bands like the Wipers, Protomartyr and Eddy Current.”

Honorable mention

I also really enjoyed these albums in 2020.

Lewsberg — In this House (12XU)

Damien Jurado — What’s New Tomboy (Mamabird)

Bill Callahan — Gold Record (Drag City)

Mike Polizze — Long Lost Solace Find (Paradise of Bachelors)

Destroyer — Have We Met (Merge)

Decoy w/ Joe McPhee — AC/DC (otoROKU)

Thurston Moore — By the Fire (Daydream Library)

Tobin Sprout — Empty Horse (Fire)

FACS — Void Moments (Trouble in Mind)

Elkhorn — The Storm Sessions (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)  

Howling Hex — Knuckleball Express (Fat Possum)

Wendy Eisenberg — Auto (BaDaBing)

Xetas — The Cypher (12XU)

Califone — Echo Mine (Jealous Butcher)

Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers — Vodou Alé (Bongo Joe)

Shopping — All or Nothing (Fat Cat)

Bonny Light Horseman — S-T (37d03d)

Tashi Dorji — Stateless (Drag City)

The Slugs — Don’t Touch Me I’m Too Slimy (2214099 Records DK)

Dr. Pete Larson and his Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band — S-T (Dagonetti)

[weekendwarriorblog]

The Weekend Warrior 4/23/21: MORTAL KOMBAT, DEMON SLAYER, TOGETHER TOGETHER, STREET GANG, SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS

Ugh. Trying to maintain this column as a weekly entity during the final few weeks of the longest Oscar season ever has been really hard, and I’m not sure that will change once the Oscars are over either, because I look at the number of movies being released both theatrically and streaming over the next few weeks, and it makes my head hurt. Sorry for the kvetching, it just is what it is.

There are two big theatrical releases this weekend, Warner Bros’ MORTAL KOMBAT and DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN from FUNImation Entertainment, both which have already been released internationally. I also probably won’t be able to watch or review either before this column gets posted.

Mortal Kombat seems like the easiest sell being that it’s based on the popular Midway Games video game franchise introduced in the early ‘90s that led to a series of films, books, comics and you name it. It was a very popular fighting game that had over a dozen iterations including one in which MK characters fought against DC superheroes.

The very first Mortal Kombat movies opened in 1995, right amidst MK-mania, and it was directed by one Paul W.S. Anderson, his very first movie in a long line of video game-related movies, including a number of Resident Evil and the recent Monster Hunter. There are a lot of people who love those games, and yes, even people who love that and other movies, but to others, who may have been too old to get into the games when they came out, the whole thing about different fighters fighting each other just looks kind of studio. Even though I’m interested to see what producer James Wan brings to this reboot, I just don’t have much interest otherwise.

Unfortunately, and this is pretty daunting, Warner Bros. wasn’t sending out screeners to critics until Wednesday with a review embargo for Thursday night at 7pm, which is never a good sign, and yet, it continues Warner Bros. continuing the trend of being one of the only studios that screeners EVERY movie to film critics rather than just making them pay to see it on Thursday night or Friday. I hope to watch it and maybe add something Thursday night, time-permitting. Not sure you heard but the Oscars are Sunday.

As far as box office, Mortal Kombat opens on Friday but also premieres on HBO Max, and I’m not sure there will be as much urge to see MK on the largest screen possible, as there was with Godzilla vs. Kong. Because of that, I think the cap for this one over the three-day weekend is about $10 million but not much more and probably more frontloaded to Friday than we’ve seen in some time.

Mini-Review: As you can imagine from my statement above, I don’t hold the Mortal Kombat games or other iterations in any particular high esteem, so I’m basically jumping into this movie, directed by Simon McQuoid, just as a movie and not necessarily as a video game movie.

It starts off promising enough like a samurai movie with a flashback where we watch Hiroyuki Sanada’s hero sees his wife and son be killed by Joe Taslim’s character that will later become Sub-Zero. The general principle seems to be that there’s a world where people from other worlds fight each other to gain complete control. The hero is Lewis Tan’s MMA fighter Cole Young, presumably a popular character from the game? He is also soon attacked by Sub-Zero presumably because he’s marked with a dragon tattoo that deems him a champion of these fights, but he needs to find someone named Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) to help him get to the “Mortal Kombat.” At the same time, he meets the movie’s most entertaining character, Kane,

played by Australian actor Josh Lawson, mainly because he swears constantly and cracks wise -- he’s a bit like Wolverine, actually, and he’s actually the best part of the movie.

Otherwise, everyone and everything is always so deadly serious that everyone else we meet just doesn’t have much impact, because frankly, none of these names or characters mean jack shit to me. Sure, some of them sound vaguely familiar but I was more interested in the great Asian actors who turn up including Tadanobu Asano’s Lord Raiden, who is gonna claim Earth if its champions lose at Mortal Kombat. And Sub-Zero basically just shows up and tries to kill everyone.

As with far too many action movies, the action itself is great, the writing and acting not so much.

As it goes along, things become more epic and fantasy-driven but that also makes the dialogue seem even worse. Similarly, the fight choreography is pretty great, but the movie still leans way too heavily on visual FX to keep it more interesting for anyone not too interested in MMA… like myself. When all else fails, they can show off Sub-Zero’s cool ice powers every chance possible as well as the other’s powers, but some of them (like Lord Raiden) just made me think of this as a rip-off of the great Big Trouble in Little China.

The thing is I’m not a fan of the video game nor of MMA, so Mortal Kombat really doesn’t have much to offer me. The whole thing just seems very silly, just like almost everything from the ‘90s. (How’s THAT for a bad take?)

That said, I thought the final battle was great, and I enjoyed some of the gorier aspects of the fights, too, and it all leads to my favorite part, which is the three-way fight between Cole, Sub-Zero, and… actually I’m not sure if it’s a spoiler or not, but it’s a pretty cool fight that almost makes up for some of the dumber characters introduced earlier on. (LIke that guy with four arms. I know he’s a character in the games, but I didn’t even care enough to look up his name.)

It’s perfectly fine that they decided to go Rated R with the movie since most of the nostalgia for this movie and franchise will be towards older guys, but at times, the CG blood is so hinky it feels like the decision to go R-rated was made well after it was filmed.

Even though I went in with the lowest of expectations, I still found most of Mortal Kombat kinda trite and boring, maybe something I’d appreciate more as a teenager but not so much as a grown adult. But what do you expect for a movie based on a video game that’s just a bunch of “cool fights”?

Rating: 5.5/10

And yet, Demon Slayer could be the surprise breakout of the weekend, considering the theatrical success FUNimation has had with theatrical releases of the My Hero Academia movies into theaters in 2018 and 2020, and the hugely successful Dragon Ball Super: Brolly, which grossed $31 million domestically after a surprise $20.2 million in its first five days in roughly 1,200 movies. In fact, it made $7 million its opening Wednesday in January 2019, and FUNimation is hoping that Demon Slayer will have a similar success by opening it for a single day (Thursday) in IMAX theaters before Mortal Kombat takes over on Friday.

Demon Slayer has already grossed $383.7 million internationally compared to Mortal Kombat’s $10.7 million, and you cannot ignore the huge popularity that anime has seen over the past few decades. In fact, a bunch of screenings for Demon Slayer in NYC have already sold out, although you have to bear in mind that these are 25% capacity theaters. Even so, I still think this can make $4 to 5 million on Thursday and another $7 to 8 million over the weekend, depending on the number of theaters. Yes, it will be quite frontloaded, and I’m not sure what the cap is on theaters and how that will affect how it does over the weekend, but expect a big Thursday and a more moderate weekend but one that might give both Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong a run for the top of the box office.

Also hitting theaters before streaming on Netflix (on April 30) is THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, the new animated movie produced by Chris Miller and Philip Lord, following their Oscar win for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It’s a little weird to open a new animated movies, presumably in select theaters, when such a hugely anticipated animated movie like Demon Slayer is opening, but Netflix won’t

The movie itself is directed by Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe, and it involves a family named the Mitchells, whose eldest daughter Katie (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) is leaving home for college, so her father (voiced by Danny McBride) decides that he’s going to drive her there and use it as the chance for a cross-country family trip. Meanwhile, it’s set up how the world becomes overrun with robots when a tech giant creates a new personal assistant.

I wasn’t sure whether I’d like this even though I’m generally a fan of all of Lord/Miller’s animated movies including both Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies. It took me a little time to get into the family and the general premise. In some ways it reminded me of Edgar Wright’s The World’s End where it’s trying to merge these two disparate genres, but when they actually merge, it just doesn’t work as well as it may have seemed on paper. That worry is soon expunged, because Rianda finds ways to integrate the two ideas over time.

On the trip, the Mitchells run into their perfect family neighbors, the Poseys -- voiced by Krissy Teigen, John Legend and Charlyne Yi -- and you’d think they might be a bigger part of the movie then they actually are. I’m not sure I would have liked doing the family-vs.-family thing so soon after last year’s Croods movie, but I did love the dynamics of the Mitchells being a very relatable imperfect family with Danny McBride being particularly great voicing the family patriarch. It even has a really touching Pixar’s Up moment of Katie’s father watching old home movies of them together when she was younger.

In general, the filmmakers have assembled a pretty amazing voice cast that includes Conan O’Brien, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen and Beck Bennett. Actually the weirdest voice choice is Katie’s younger brother Aaron, voiced by Rianda himself, and it sounds like a strange older man trying to be a kid, so it doesn’t work as well as others.

What I genuinely liked about Mitchells vs. the Machines is that it doesn’t go out of its way to talk down to overly sensitive kiddies or skimp on the action while also including elements that parents will enjoy as well, and to me, that’s the ideal of a family film.

While some might feel that The Mitchells vs. the Machines is fairly standard animated fare, it ends up being a fun cross between National Lampoon’s Vacation (cleaned up for the kiddies) with Will Smith’s I, Robot, actually, and yet, it somehow does work. It’s a shame that it’s really not getting a theatrical release except to be awards-eligible.

Next, we have two really great movies I saw at Sundance this year and really enjoyed immensely…

So as I mentioned, I first saw Nikole Beckwith’s TOGETHER TOGETHER (Bleecker Street), starring Ed Helms and Patti Harrison, at Sundance, and it was one of my favorite movies there with Helms playing a middle-aged single guy named Matt, who hires the much-younger Anna (Harrison) to be his surrogate, because he wants a baby. It’s a tough relationship thrown together due to each of their respective necessities.

Part of what drives the movie is how different Matt and Anna are, him being quite inappropriate with his suggestions and requests but not really having a working knowledge of female anatomy, pregnancy, delivery etc, but being really eager to raise a child and having the money that Anna clearly does not.

While I was familiar with Helms from The Office, The Hangover, etc. I really didn’t know Patti Harrison at all. Apparently, she’s a stand-up comic who hasn’t done a ton of acting, comedic or otherwise. That’s pretty amazing when you watch this movie and see her dry sardonic wit playing well against Helms’ generally lovable doofus. What I also didn’t realize and frankly, I don’t really see this as something even worth mentioning, is that she’s a trans woman playing a clearly CIS part, and she kills it. I certainly wouldn’t have known nor did it really affect my enjoyment of the movie, yet it still seems like such a brave statement on the part of the director and Harrison herself. The thing is that Harrison isn't just a terrific actress in her own right, but she brings out aspects of Helms that I never thought I would ever possibly see. (If it isn't obvious, I'm not the biggest fan of Helms.)

The movie has a great sense of humor, as it gets the most out of this awkward duo and then throws so many great supporting actors into the cast around them that it’s almost impossible not to enjoy the laughs. There’s the testy Sonogram tech, played by Sufe Bradshaw from Veep, who tries to maintain her composure and bite her tongue, but you can tell she’s having none of it. Others who show up, including Tig Notero, Norah Dunn and Fred Melamed. Just when you least expect it, Anna Conkle from Pen15, shows up as one of those delivery gurus that make the two of them feel even more awkward.

What’s nice is that this never turns into the typical meet cute rom-com that some might be expecting, as Beckwith’s film is more about friendship and companionship and being there for another, and the lack of that romantic spark even as chemistry develops between them is what makes this film so enjoyably unique. Beckwith’s sense of humor combined with her dynamic duo stars makes Together Together the best comedy about pregnancy probably since Knocked Up.

Another great Sundance movie and actually one of my two favorite recent documentaries AND one of the best movies I’ve seen this year is… you know what? I haven’t done this for a while so this is this week’s “CHOSEN ONE”!! (Fanfare)

(Photo courtesy: Robert Fuhring/Courtesy Sesame Workshop)

Marilyn (Mad Hot Ballroom) Agrilo’s STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET (Screen Media/HBO Documentaries) is a fantastic doc about the long-running and popular PBS kids show that’s every bit as good as Morgan Neville’s Mr. Rogers doc, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Which was robbed of an Oscar nomination a few years back.

Let me make something clear on the day I’m writing this, April 21, 2021, that this is my favorite movie of the year, the only one I’ve already given a 10/10, and the end of the year might come around, and I have a feeling it will still be my #1.

You see, I was raised a Sesame Street kid. It’s not like I didn’t read or play outside or not get the attention of my parents or family, but there was so much of my happy, young life that I could attribute to my time watching Sesame Street, and when you watch Marily Agrilo’s amazing doc, it all comes rushing back. There is stuff in this movie that I haven’t seen in maybe 50 years but that I clearly remember laughing at, and there’s stuff that got into the mind of a young Ed that influenced my love of humor and music and just outright insanity. Sure, I loved The Muppet Show, too, but it was a different experience, so to watch a movie about the show with all sorts of stuff I had never seen or knew, that’s what makes Street Gang such a brilliant documentary, and easily one of the best we’ll see this year. Of that I have no doubt.

From the very origins of the show with Joan Cooney developing a show that will be entertaining and educational to the kids being plopped down in front of the TV in the ‘60s and ‘70s, so they can learn something, it’s just 1:46 of straight-up wonderment.

Besides getting to see a lot of the beloved actors/characters from the show and many of the surviving players like Carol Spinney aka Big Bird/Oscar, you can see how this show tried to create something that wasn’t just constantly advertising to young minds.

More than anything, the show is a love letter to the bromance between Jim Henson and Frank Oz, and you get to see so many of their bits and outtakes that make their Muppets like Burt and Ernie and Grover and, of course, Kermit, so beloved by kids that even cynical adults like myself would revert childhood just thinking about them. Then on top of that there’s the wonderful music and songs of Christopher Cerf and Joe Raposo and others, songs that would permeate the mainstream populace and be remembered for decades.

The movie is just a tribute to the joy of childhood and learning to love and sing and dance and just have fun and not worry about the world. I’m not sure if kids these days have anything like that.

It also gets quite sad, and I’m not embarrassed to say that in the sequence that covers the death of Mr. Hooper, I was outright bawling, and a few minutes later, when Jim Henson dies in 1990, I completely lost it. That’s how much this show meant to me and to so many people over the decades, and Brava to Ms. Agrilo for creating just the perfect document to everything that Sesame Street brought to so many people’s lives. This is easily the best documentary this year, and woe be to any Academy that doesn’t remember it at year’s end.

The other fantastic doc out this week, though I actually got to see it last year, is Lisa Rovner’s SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS (Metrograph Pictures), which will play at the Metrograph, both on demand and part of its Digital Live Screenings (available to join for just $5 a month!). This is an endlessly fascinating doc that looks at the women of electronic music and the early days of synthesizers and synthesis and some of the female pioneers. It’s narrated by Laurie Anderson, which couldn’t be the more perfect combination.

The movie covers the likes of Suzanne Cianni; Forbidden Planet composers Louis and Bebe Barron, who created the first all-electronic score for that movie; the amazing Wendy Carlos, who electronically scored one of my favorite movies of all time, Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange; Delia Derbyshire, who was also the subject of Caroline Catz’s short, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes, which tragically, I missed when it premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March. Derbyshire was also famous for creating the iconic theme to “Doctor Who” while working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the '60s. Others who appear in the movie, either via archival footage or more recent interviews are Pauline Oliveros and Laurie Spiegel, who I was less familiar with.

The point is that as someone who was a fantastic for electronic music and synthesizers from a very early age and for someone who feels he’s very familiar with all angles of music, I learned a lot from watching Rovner’s film, and I enjoyed it just as much a second time, because the footage assembled proves what amazing work these women were doing and rarely if ever getting the credit for what they brought to electronic music, something that still resonates with the kids today who love things like EDM.

An endlessly fascinating film with so much great music and footage, Sisters with Transistors can be watched exclusively through the Metrograph’s Live Screening series, so don’t miss it!

Hitting Shudder this week is Chris Baugh’s BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL (Shudder), which I didn’t get a chance to watch before writing this week’s column, but Shudder in general has been knocking it out of the park with the amazing horror movies it’s been releasing on a weekly basis. This one involves a quarelling father and son on a road who must survive the night when they awaken an ancient Irish vampire.

Also hitting theaters and streamers and digital this week:

THE MARIJUANA CONSPIRACY (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

MY WONDERFUL WANDA (Zeitgeist Films)

WET SEASON (Strand Releasing)

CRESTONE (Utopia)

VANQUISH (Lionsgate)

BLOODTHIRSTY (Brainstorm)

SASQUATCH (Hulu)

SHADOW AND BONE (Netflix)

And that wraps up this week. Next week? No idea… I know there’s stuff coming out but I probably won’t think about it until after THE OSCARS!!!! On Sunday.

[ohwereusingourmadeupnames]

all of who does what for Thunderstruck Starker

Wah, nonnie - this made my day! Thunderstruck is one of my favorite verses. If you haven’t read it, head over to AO3 to catch up with the entire series. 

For those of us that are lazy, the general gist is this: they are mechanics in a soulmate verse where pairs can hear the music their other half is listening to in their head. Peter is deaf, so it takes an alternate listening method for them to find each other. Life together ensues. 

Send me a ship & a prompt/au situation/idea and I’ll tell you who does what - 

Who accidentally pushes a door instead of pulling/vice versa: Tony is perpetually distracted. There are always designs in his head, or the song lyrics to the last song he heard on the radio. Since he’s so used to being in his own shop where everything does exactly what he wants it to, he doesn’t bother looking at a door when he comes to an unfamiliar one. It takes him walking into several before he thinks that maybe he should take his head out of his ass and be present. The fact that Peter doesn’t tell him before he walks into said doors is a sore spot for the two of them - though, it’s easy for Tony to laugh when he sees the sheer delight on Peter’s face. Both of them are very familiar with the sign for jackass for a reason. 

Who doodles little hearts all over the desk with their initials inside them: It starts to happen unconsciously. Peter is so distracted in class one day, he lets his mind focus on the music he can hear there, Tony obviously in the shop working, the AC/DC blaring a sure fire sign of that. He’s missing half the lecture, but that never seems to matter - his note taker is thorough and they haven’t touched a topic he doesn’t know thoroughly, yet. When everyone starts to get up at the end of class, he sees the hearts and they’re initials all locked together - the doodles mixing in with the song lyrics he hears over the course of the hour. At the end of the semester, his notebook is filled more with doodles and the many ways he figures out how to put Mr. Peter Stark down on paper - bubble letters and all. 

Who starts the tickle fights: A lot of times, neither of them plan to start the tickle wars that have been known to go on for days. There is a lot of finger spelling going on in bed, neither man willing to break away long enough to get a sign out, so the tangibility of the letters and symbols on skin becomes the easiest way for either of them to get their point across. Sometimes, when Tony is lounging on the couch with Peter’s head in his lap, it’s easy to get lost tracing long planes of smooth skin - his fingertips now pretty familiar with the territory. The touches that bring out the sounds Peter is so sparing with are repeated until a hand is batting his away and his soulmate is starting to retaliate. One time, they spent three days getting each other into situations where they could tickle the hell out of the other. When it’s Peter that starts it, Tony tries to ignore the tingling sensation racing across his skin - but he can’t, he’ll never be able to. By the time Peter is finding all of the good spots, Tony is on his knees - Peter’s cock usually filling him while fingers wonder. 

Who starts the pillow fights: Tony is a ninja when it comes to his pillow throwing skill. The longer he’s with Peter, the more creative he has to become to get the man’s attention. Sometimes, he just doesn’t want to get up off his chair, so he’ll chuck a pillow or throw the nearest soft thing he can reach. Peter always looks over at him with the slightest bit of irritation in his eye - like he’s worth more than the toss of a pillow. Which is exactly right. Tony usually gets up and gives him a kiss, the intended interaction sitting on hold until they come up for air. Peter is stealth with his attacks and usually uses Tony’s never ending need to never have the other mad at him to his advantage. He’ll slam the pillow against Tony’s face when he comes in for a ‘I’m sorry’ hug and then it’s all out war. Tony is never one to back down from a challenge - even if he’s the one dropping the initial gauntlet. 

Who falls asleep last, watching the other with a small affectionate smile: Peter’s never been the best sleeper. It’s a little better now that Tony is around, but he’s still not that great at it. There are times when he can get right to sleep, usually when he’s spent and coming down from the fifth orgasm - and there are other times when he startles himself awake, or sits just at the edge of consciousness, his brain never quite hurtling over the peak of true rest. After realizing just how cute Tony looks when he’s slowly drifting off to sleep, Peter lets the sleeplessness aid him in watching Tony in the most unguarded moments the man will ever have. The older man does a really good job of taking care of him - but, it’s nice to see the softer side, too. 

Who lets the microwave play the loud beeping sound at 1am in the morning: In their new home in Cambridge, Tony installs a microwave that doesn’t beep - because Peter can’t hear it, anyway. Instead, the lights attached to it flash. Tony is free to make whatever noises he likes, but he respects Peter’s needs, too. He comes to find that the flash of light is much nicer, more peaceful. 

Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines: Always Tony. There’s like an innate feature within him that makes him feel the need to always be making lame jokes. It’s not with everyone, either. He’s stonewall with Steve and Bucky and the slightest bit affectionate with Happy - but he’s not out to impress them. No, he wants Peter’s attention on him, anything that will earn him that beaming smile. So, he makes puns and silly jokes - especially overtly lame and outlandish pick up lines. Literally anything Tony can do to get Peter to whole heartedly laugh, he’s is going to do it. 

Who rearranges the bookshelf in alphabetical order: Tony’s office space is meticulous, but there aren’t a lot of text books to speak of. The technologically brained man likes to keep all of his needed information on the tablet he keeps with him. Peter, on the other hand, is all about the tangibility of turning pages and taking notes - he catches grief about it from the older man constantly. The bookcase they built together houses all of Peter’s books, including the fantasy novels that he’s so very fond of. The books are sorted not only by alphabetical name, but by genre and subject matter, too. He likes to be organized, it helps. 

Who licks the spoon when they’re baking brownies: Peter’s not shy about his appetite, no matter how much he’s consumed in the small window of time he’s been eating. There are times when Tony has to limit his time in the kitchen when they’re baking - more of the stuff in the bowl makes it into Peter’s mouth than into the pan. There’s no chiding about raw eggs or sickness - Tony likes the fact that Peter is all over the brownie batter. When he kisses him later, Peter tastes sweet, the slightest hint of chocolate there and steadily present the entire time they press their lips together.

Who buys candles for dinners even though there’s no special occasion: Every time they eat food is a special occasion - though, they don’t always mark it as such. Aunt May is pretty consistent about the little care packages she sends him and the one he receives right before Christmas is stuffed to the gils with decorations and silly trinkets - long red candles included. For the three weeks it takes them to burn down to nothing, Peter and Tony eat their meals by candle light. Peter mentions how much they enjoyed them to May, so there’s a new set of them in every single package she sends his way from then on out. 

Who draws little tattoos on the other with a pen: Tony is terribly needy right around the time Peter starts to study for something. It’s like a sixth sense - he’s not seeing dead people, but he sure as hell is being distracting, his need for attention never ceasing. That is, of course, until he discovers just how good Peter’s skin looks with blue pen on it. Study sessions get a little easier after that, though Peter sacrifices his right arm for the sake of furthering his knowledge. The cuter ones, he doesn’t wash off right away - he lets the blue ink stick around until it fades naturally. 

Who comes home with a new souvenir magnet every time they go on vacation: Peter usually brings back postcards. What do you buy a man that could have anything he pleased in an airport gift shop? He decides that a marker of where he was traveling would be the best idea, so he sticks to it. The one time the Atlanta airport is out of postcards, he grabs a magnet instead. It becomes a thing to see where Tony proudly displays them after that. 

Who convinces the other to fill out those couple surveys in the back of magazines: Neither of them - they don’t need any further proof about how perfectly meant to be they are. 

[spiriituma]

JONAS & LEE - RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

||..varies by verse !! this is mostly for their MAIN / DC / MARVEL verses

TL;DR-- Jonas and Lee share a strong bond that Jonas initially took as being wholly romantic, almost verging on obsession. Eventually, he comes to realize that the intimacy he desires with Lee isn’t romantic in any way, and the two then become akin to siblings. 

In some verses, there is lingering romantic tension between them; like with Trevor, Lee can sometimes mistake friendship for more than that, but the opposite is also true. Romance and flirting will sometimes go right over her head or she will push aside her feelings in hopes they’ll go away. She certainly uses that practice on Jonas.

**Lee and Jonas meet after he escapes Premiere labs and LITERALLY crash-lands into her life; Jonas falls right in front of Lava and scares her so badly that she ends up going into her FERAL MODE. Thankfully, Lee was nearby and able to calm the mare down after realizing that Jonas wasn’t a threat. He was badly injured, half-naked, and had shards of glass still stuck in him from barreling through the laboratory windows in an attempt to escape.  Lee brings him back to her shoddy apartment and patches him up, offers for him to stay with her. Jonas, relieved to be free of the lab, TELLS HER EVERYTHING. The more he unloads, the more her concern grows, and to help put him at ease, she offers to make him a GLAMOUR CHARM that will hide his wings. She also makes sure to tell him not to share what he’s told her with anyone else-- not until they BOTH make sure whoever it is is TRUSTWORTHY.

**Lee contacts Jonas’s parents to let them know their son is alive. Jonas refuses to go back home or have any further contact with them so he can make damn well sure that they stay out of harm’s way. Every couple of months, Lee will visit them and let them know how Jonas is doing; she often comes back with money, food, and other items that they send along for Jonas. He uses the money to pay rent on a much better apartment that he and Lee share. Lee picks up a job as a carriage driver on the side to help pay some of their expenses.

**Jonas decides after a few months that he wants to try and attend school. Lee tries to talk him out of it, having had bad experiences in high school herself. When he insists, reminding her that he’s NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO BE A NORMAL PERSON, she gives in, disguising herself via a glamour charm as his mother to sign him up for classes at a local school. He uses the last name BECKETT instead of his actual last name, Wilder.

**While attending class, Jonas meets a gang of super-powered upper class-men who call themselves THE MISFITS. Led by resident rich boy asshole AUSTIN BLAISE (a speedster whose parents paid dearly for his powers,) the gang also consists of AMANDA SANTOS (a Brazilian exchange student with the ability to control nature) and HEATHER CALLOWAY (a magician’s assistant trained in hand-to-hand combat by her uncle, a former mob boss.) Austin immediately takes a liking to Jonas, and shortly the two begin dating-- without telling Lee.

**Jonas gets in over his head when he tells Austin about his wings and his life as a lab rat for Premiere. Austin is shocked, though rather pleased, to discover that Jonas is an escapee of the lab that GAVE HIM HIS POWERS and which his parents are massive investors in. The speedster constantly gaslights and verbally abuses Jonas, something that he is very much used to from his time in observation/experimentation. With Austin’s prompting, and cash, Jonas joins the Misfits under the alias of MOURN.

**Not long into the relationship, Lee finds out that Jonas is dating the obnoxious speedster who she’s had multiple bad run-ins with and is furious upon realizing that Jonas revealed all of his secrets to Austin. She doesn’t want to be involved in any way with the Misfits, not caring for the way Austin seems to flaunt him and his teammates powers for publicity, often throwing them in harm’s way purely for the sake of entertainment value. Lee and Jonas argue one morning before Jonas leaves for class; when he returns home later that afternoon, both Lee and Lava are gone.

**About a month later, Austin and Jonas’s relationship starts to turn rocky as Jonas keeps insisting that Lee is his friend and a potential ally of the Misfits. Austin, who cannot stand the witch (as she had previously denied a position on the team and insulted him,) continuously wants to throw her under the bus, hoping to blame her for mistakes that his own team makes. Jonas has enough and confronts him, Austin turning physically abusive during their fight. Jonas threatens to break up with Austin, the speedster turning it around on him and THREATENING to turn Jonas in to the lab. This works for a couple of weeks, Jonas remaining Austin’s quiet, submissive boyfriend until Jonas grows tired of the blackmail and finally calls it off. Austin decides not to call Premiere, but doesn’t entirely put the thought behind him.

**Lee and Jonas reconcile shortly after the break up, and Jonas realizes that he may have feelings for Lee, going so far as to call it LOVE. He invites her to move back in with him, the two picking up their friendship right where they’d left off, though Jonas is now constantly anxious and flighty around her. When Lee calls him out on it, he admits that she was right about Austin and the two talk about past relationships, Lee telling him about her experience with TREVOR ROBERTS.

**Jonas confesses his love for Lee, and she rejects him, saying that them dating would be a terrible idea and that there is no way that he can actually be in love with her. She fully believes that the only reason he thinks he loves her is because she’s not Austin, and she actually treats him like a person. Though the two share an apartment once more, they don’t talk to each other for several days after this exchange.

**Lee has second thoughts about what she said, and ends up kissing Jonas. The two then realize just how gross the concept of any sort of romance between them makes them feel, Jonas likening it to having just kissed a sibling. They’re able to laugh it off and move on, both fully relishing in the fact that their relationship seems to have taken a step in the direction of being a FAMILY instead of a couple.

**Lee helps Jonas switch schools to distance himself further from Austin and the Misfits. Jonas continues his vigilante work as MOURN, though with Lee as his partner. Eventually, however, Jonas turns to Austin for a favor-- a funeral for TREVOR --and things start to get a little more complicated.