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theloveinc · 2 years

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Catie, this has been giving me brain rot but I need to pawn it off on someone to make it leave.

Okay, so. I want to say "No" to Bakugou.

No, but listen. So he's been pining, right? Working up the nerve to ask you out because the first time you sassed him he fell head over heels in love. And you've been flirting back, so he's feeling pretty confident about this since there's been a back and forth for a good while (weeks? months? years?) between you two.

So he's like "Oi, you wanna get dinner or somethin'?" But you're dealing with your own stuff - maybe a bad date, or you didn't get a promotion at work, or you have a big project you have to focus on, or you're moving apartments, or maybe he just caught you on a bad day (spilled your coffee on your shirt, lost your keys, sank ankle deep into a mud puddle, etc). Regardless, you don't even spare him a glance, when you say "No."

And just ugh 😩 He's left dumbfounded and he leaves to go sulk, trying to figure out where he went wrong, when really you just don't have the time or the energy right now.

At some point down the road (days? weeks? months?) after still being kind to you and flirting with you (because he's not going to give up on you that easily, or even just get over you that easily), he tries again and this time you say "Yes." 😊

Okay byyyyyyeeeee

Anon......... the fact that you still want to brainrot with me🙇🏼‍♀️🙇🏼‍♀️🙇🏼‍♀️ THANK YOU!!!

Can I just tell you how much I literally ADORE this, too? I feel like you read my mind, too, as just the other day I was thinking about how I'm wayyy too busy for a bf/gf right now... so this is truly the perfect fantasy🥺

BUT ARGHH LKSAJDFAKSD... it's funny but it's also not, you know?He's too wrapped up in worrying how you'll take a confession to realize how hectic your life is....... and you turn him down because you just... can't deal with anything else on your plate (maybe because you don't realize his intentions + know you're not free, don't think it's serious, or are tired, spacey, grumpy... anything, really.)

But I'm also thinking about... Bakugo sulking over this BIG TIME (full on, spending entire weekends drowning in work or being sad on his couch, only moving when Kiri drags him around)... before slowly realizing just how busy + tired you actually are the few times he does stop to see + chat with you.

He starts getting worried; watching you run around trying to tackle work, all your shit at home, your emotions, chores, AND very normal slip-ups, like you said, anon....... and something just hits him, you know? And he feels like such an ass for trying to ask you out when you have so many other things worry about that aren't... him and how much he likes you LOL.

Anyway, he immediately goes from still being kinda miffed to like, wanting to help you out. Doesn't even care that you turned him down anymore, he just needs to make things easier for you again so you can (at least) start being his cheerful friend again🥺

(It's also making chuckle to think about, maybe a couple weeks later... telling Kiri + Denki, or maybe even Deku + Todoroki, that he was rejected by you... except they just stare at him kinda confused and go, "but... isn't y/n super busy right now? Like........ too busy for dates and stuff?"

And he's just: *tik tok sound* OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T KNOW!!!)

...or you tell the girls about how you feel bad you had to turn him down for dinner, and they're like "y/n... he was asking you on a date..."

AND IT'S THE SAME RESPONSE LMAOOO...)

But anyway, don't wanna take your idea from you but... Bakugo goes from pining to doing errands with you + cleaning your house (and we could spend a long time talking about all the sweet moments the flirting comes naturally when he's helping you with something)....... TO finally asking you out again, when he KNOWS for sure the time is right...

And it's just the sweetest thing to know that he's been waiting for Y-O-U for so long and he's gonna support you through thick and thin, whether you have time for him (or coffee on your shirt) or not.

I love you, anon! Thank you so much for this!!!

#bakugo #ugh sorry if i changed it too much #I WAS PROJECTING LMAOOOO #i really didn't focus on the saying no thing asdfjkaksd #but i didn't want to like... repeat what u said or overshadow that part of it #BC SO TRUE #as we all know... im very rusty at this #but it was a lot of fun #i am hugging u berry tightly #also the thought of u and bakugo in casual clothes and flirting while he helps u out with something at ur house #and ur kinda embarrassed cuz u turned him down but he doesnt seem to mind ? and still smiles all big when u laugh #and calls ur ugly slippers names #UGH IDKKKKK #but WAHHHHH i wanna put this in my mouth #caitie things #caitie answers #anon #queue

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livindeddreamz · 1 year

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Random turtles in my notes

#rottmnt #leo rottmnt #leo hamato #raph rottmnt #donnie hamato #Anon's art #god all of them looks ugly #im so rusty #donnie rottmnt #leonardo hamato #donatello hamato

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otome-on-the-side · 1 year

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fixed up/updated my tag lists bc. I Hate how the emojis changed with the windows update lmao

#I also attempted to add images to the side of my blog and gave up again #I have no idea how I managed it on my main blog - im so so rusty with html #I keep going back to the code I put in over there and youd think I could cross post it onto my theme on this blog #haven't managed it yet!#I cant find a good spot to plug it in orz #ill figure it out ONE DAY #for now you can see a more apt and updated tag list for the games im reblogging AND it looks less ugly #ah. the constant maintenance that comes with having a web page #text

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pjackk · 6 months

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Yep another miesrable "F my life" moment just hapened to me i basicaly walked 10 miles up the mountain to get to behind to the gas station to see my plug to buy me my with my favorite delta 8 pipe rocks and grab another 6er of tall boy steelies and i forgot i had my lit pre roll from brunch at the Country Grocerys buffet and i tripped on a congom on they away out and fell directly into a puddle of oil which normaly is fine when i fall and hurt myself ebcause nobody gives a fuck about me but the pants got stained wich is not unusual for me either but this time with motor guel or some shit but my pre roll was smoldering still and it set my ptants on fire so i dive in to the muddy ditch to put wet mut on my body to estinguish the fire and it and it shook the fuck up out of my steelos and the bursted all over me and it put out the fire but now i dont have any booze at all and my delta 7 "Fuck n chill" rocks burned tf up and i dont got nothgin left and my pants were all fucked up so i had to go home thru the woods wihtout them and it was so dark out and my peice of shit phone died even thouhg it was at 27% and i couldnt see shit and i was lost for along time so i decide to go to sleep in the woods to find my way back in day time + the animals sounds were high key scary as fuck so i cover myself in leafs and dirt and sticks and mud and other shit to hide from them and i woke up in the adfternoon still tired as fuck cuz i dont sleep good without some shit to put me asleep like my medicidne prescribed from Dr Maltlikker if U catch my drift lol or Dr thc Gummy lol if u get what im saying and these stupid little cunts with 22 rifles were plinking at me and tlaking about how they wanted to shoot my big ugly rusty head right in the head or to shoot a hole in my nippels so i got up and trioed to get them to stop i begged but htey just kept lauhging at me and shooting at me and it realy hurt my feelings so i pick one up and threw it into the sky then they all ran away screaming which is a classic "Dont fuck with honest joe,because he might try to hurt you or kill you if u piss him of moment" but the miracle of the story if that i went to walk 20 feet to findm y way out and i found my busted as shit old as fuck camry with a litle gas left ive been looking for it for a few days cuz i did a lil cruising when i was blackout and did lots of crazy shit i didnt remember at all but it was all on my story and 100 ppl were snaping and whatsapping me telling me to kill myself when i checked my huwawai thats how u know u had a crazy fcking night when u get that shit!!😂😂 but it had a litle gas left and it wasnt super busted so i was able do get back on I81 and soem stupid fcking crazy ass north carolina motha fuckas are driving insanly as fuck as usual and they keep almost hiting me while im just trying to read my fukcking phone to get rid of all these stupid messages and shit i still dont know how to use the app and its hard to type shit with my hands but eventualy i got back to my fuck buddys houe im crashing there even though he hates me now but i have nowehre left since ive been down on my luck and im realy not able to pay the bills no more with my online black jack/DarkRp trial moderator gigs and basicaly he owes me cuaz i got him 1 pack of menthols back when he was 19 and Sleepy Joe Brnadon banned them since "Freedom to do real shit" was aparently removed from the costitution when he was elected😂 but anywas now im sitting here bored as fuck with nothign at all do do cuz i got nothing to get fucked up wthi and i spent the rest of my meony on shit thats burned and blasted im realy worried i wont be able to sleep tongith since i cant get fucked up and thats when the demons starts to flow in my head i might do something realy bad to myself like pluck out my screws or some shit if u care abotu my which u probably dont my cashuapp is $pjack9 im desprate for another bottle to numb my p[ain away

Pic of my ride when i found it thankuly it still had gas😋

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old-knightsvow · 1 year

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i havent played solitaire in so long i wonder if i could beat my old record omg wait....cardgames dot io has got a halloween deck thats so cool

#ugly but cool. anyway im probably really rusty but i have to tryyyyy hashtag never forget who you are #txt

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hiebies · 7 months

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if i could hold you for a minute (i would do it again)

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ | desc; this is me coping with jjk 236

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ | pairings; gojo -> x gn!reader

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ | mlist

familiarity breeds contempt- or, it would, if the familiarity wasn’t the only thing keeping the contempt away. an ugly shadow, something disfigured and maimed; grief. the apartment is clean, routine still carefully in place, even on a day that feels impossible- days that feel impossible are common, but this one makes all the other impossible days seem ridiculous.

inside this clean space are things out of place- a ‘World’s Best Teacher’ mug sat on the coffee table. an empty packet of strawberry flavoured chewing gum, metallic wrapper crunched and discarded to the side. a broken pair of circular sunglasses rest on the edge of the table, well loved and well worn.

“—said not to, but i just couldn’t resist! so i bought another bag of the frozen berries and I’ll just make room in the freezer!” the voicemail ends, a lilt to the end tone of the voice and a laugh that sounds more like a cackle. the phone in hand beeps, then asks to replay or delete the message.

fingers tap at the screen, pressing a number to play the message again. every movement is mechanical, familiarity bleeding like an open wound, the space staying exactly the same, unchanging. a temporary salve over a gaping wound, stitched together by barbed wire and sealed over with duct tape.

a body sat on a couch, accompanied by the imprint of another; still. just a body, moving through familiar motions or things that had been, but no longer are. the voicemail starts over again.

“hi baby! you didn’t pick up before, so i thought i’d do you the honour of hearing my voice like this instead- isn’t that great? i’m out at the moment—”

and eventually, it ends again too, leaving only silence.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ | notes; i feel like i had my kidney cut out with a rusty spork. when did i get so fond of him im actually ill. how do i tell my teachers that i can’t pay attention to the class because i’m grieving over a fictional character. this was very self indulgent & i wanted to do something but i have such low energy rn :’) tldr; gege, when i catch you gege.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ hiebies 2023 ©

#im crying and sobbing and crying and sobbing #someone put gege in the timeout corner pls #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk 236 #jjk gojo #jjk spoilers #jjk x reader #jjk x gender neutral reader #gojo satoru #gojou satoru x reader #gojo x gender neutral reader #gojo x reader

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dollywony · 1 year

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unfair - m.w/j.h

pairing: mike x reader & one-sided jane x reader

summary: the crumbled polaroid on the ground revealed the truth and some feelings.

a/n: aahh im so sorry for not updating!!! school and life has been so draining :( ive gotten so rusty with writing so i hope this isn’t horrible 😕

warnings: cheating, cursing, angst.

wc: 1k

It was 3:27 am. Who was ringing your door like a fucking mad man?

Grumbling, you got yourself up and pushed it open. To your sudden satisfaction, it was your boyfriend, Mike.

Widening your eyes, you questioned the lanky boy who had been standing out in the rain, fully drenched. That wasn’t the only thing that stood out to you though.

His eyes, bloodshot red while his nose was a furious shade of vermillion.

“Mike, what are you doing here?” You asked, as you ushered him into your house.

Sniffling he followed you in. Ushering off to get a towel for him, he held your wrist firmly.

Giving him a look of confusion and worry, he began to speak, not before immediately crying.

Not caring if you got wet, you pulled him into a hug and tried your best to comfort him. Whispering “it’s okay” and “you know I’m here” repeatedly into his shivering figure.

A few minutes went by before Mike spoke up.

“Y/n-“ Mike choked up, bursting into tears once again.

“Mike? What is it?”

You were met with no reply, the sounds of Mike’s sobs echoing through your ears again.

“Y/n, I’m so sorry.” Mike finally let out, slowly letting his head hang low.

What exactly was he sorry for? You were sure he had done nothing wrong from what you knew.

“Sorry about what?”

Wordlessly, Mike fished something out of his pocket. A crushed up polaroid hit the ground.

Picking said polaroid up, your look of confusion turned into a fury of different emotions. It was at a party of some sort you guessed. Mike was against the walls, arms wrapped around some girl while hers were upon his chest, making out.

You were silent.

Nothing ran through your head. You tried to convince yourself that he was just caught off guard, maybe even set up but no. The look on Mike's face gave it away. It wasn’t like he was surprised, no. He looked like himself.

The image looked normal. Well, minus the fact that your boyfriend was making out with another girl.

He had done the one thing he had promised he would never have done.

Cheat on you.

Mike turned his head away, trying to somehow shove his shame away. Trying to somehow ignore the scene upon him. Trying to somehow, somehow believe this all is a nightmare come alive.

Mike's pleads and apologies haven’t even made it through your ears. They all seemed like empty, useless words.

Feeling the warm sensation of your tears streaking your pained face, you think of how minutes earlier you were wiping away the tears of who you believed loved you.

You bring your hand up as an attempt to wipe your tears away. They were useless, the ugly sobs stuck in your throat erupting and making you a mess. Your knees grew weak and gave up on you.

Tossing the polaroid to god knows where, you just cry. You just fucking cry.

It felt like hours, but when you look up to distinguish the time, only five minutes had gone by. Five minutes of the two of you crying had gone by.

“Mike, please leave.” Your voice comes out croaky. You were surprised that you could compose a sentence without breaking down again.

“Y/n-“

“Mike.”

Mike's face contorts from frustration to helplessness. But, he accepts your decision. He knew the mental message you sent him. The message that you couldn’t say right now. Not verbally.

Mike wants to fight with you, at least to try and get you back but he knows he’s lost.

He’s lost you.

Shamefully, Mike picks the tear stained polaroid and shoves it in his back pocket and heads for the front door.

“You know Y/n. I really still love you. I really fucking do.”

The sound of your door clicking had released the new streams of tears you tried so hard to push back.

Words couldn’t explain how you felt. You felt a mixture of multiple emotions. The feeling of nausea came to you, though you felt no need to regurgitate.

Through the door, Mike can hear your muffled, anguished sobs. He can hear the low whimpers you let out. He can practically feel the emotions radiating off you through the door.

Walking back to the black vehicle, he slams the door shut.

“You didn’t have to make me do that, you know.” Mike grumbles to his friend.

“Y/n had a right to know.” Jane scoffs.

“But you could have kept it a secret!” Mike exclaimed with frustration.

Mike was right. Jane could have kept it a secret but she didn’t.

She loved you too much.

“Y/n’s my best friend. I’m doing what’s best for her and you.”

“And I thought we agreed it would be for the best if she didn’t know?”

Staying silent, Jane doesn’t say anything. Sure, she agreed at first once seeing the unknown female in his bed but she didn't understand.

Why did you choose Mike?

Why not her?

Why was it Mike out of all people?

Jane had probably loved you the moment you guys became friends. Your bubbly personality, your smile, the way your eyes light up at the mention of cherries and penguins.

She loved you so much but why was it Mike that had won your frail, delicate heart over?

Jane knew she was selfish. She knew she was selfish for making Mike tell Y/n about his scandalous behavior but she didn’t care. She knew Y/n would take it horribly but she couldn’t hold the lies in any longer.

“Shut up Mike, it was your fault anyways.” Jane grumbles as she starts to drive to the Wheelers residence.

Even though as hard as Jane tried to ignore it, she knew that deep down Mike was Y/n’s and Y/n was Mike’s. No matter what happened. At the end of the day either one of you would run back.

And she fucking hated it.

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prodshima · 9 months

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love languages (two) 𖤐

warnings: signs of mental instability (?), idk but that's about it, it's all just fluff <3 tell me if i missed anything :)

characters: kuroo & hajime

notes: in honor of me turning seventeen today, here is the part two of love languages! <3 i hope im not too rusty crusty haha :D!

-> click here for: [ part one ]

kuroo tetsuro - acts of service

kuroo tetsuro is a man who never fails to reach the book men level of standard.

you think that maybe he’s not actually real and some kind of illusion, because how could be a man be so perfect?

well, apparently he is and you must’ve saved multiple planets because for whatever reason— he’s your boyfriend in this universe.

—

“baby? i brought you your favorite coffee and some pastries” the said man says as he pushes the bedroom door open

you quickly turn around to the sweet voice of your boyfriend, he’s wearing the biggest grin on his face that reciprocates yours while holding up your favorite coffee in his hand and bread on the other

just like a child when they’re given their favorite stash of candy.

“matcha latte?” you scramble away from your where you’re sat in to where he is, kicking away the scattered tissue boxes and paper bags

kuroo chuckles, pecking your forehead lightly “mhm, you got it, baby. you feeling better now?”

you nod, “uh uh, i’m doing okay now, just doing my physics assignments to catch up for tomorrow and i still have some cleaning to do… i think im gonna get sick again if i don’t”

sounds of laughter fills up the room as the both of you glance around the room, looking at each other again with a scrunch

“i’ll help you clean up and don’t overwork yourself, okay? don’t wanna see my baby getting sick again” kuroo laughs as he pinches your cheek before moving to sit on your bed, reaching into his bag

“oh and here’s your physics and maths notes, baby, i figured i could use my vacants to attend a couple of your missed classes” sounds of rustling follows as he hands you neatly highlighted papers

your mouth drops open in shock

just the thought that your boyfriend chose to spend his free time writing notes for his sick partner and listened to professors ramble for god knows how long instead of enjoying his once-in-a-lifetime rest hours

kuroo knows how much you struggle with these classes, not to mention that you’ve missed a couple days because of how sick you got.

“god, you didn’t have to do all that but thank you so much, tetsu, i love you a lot” you snake your hands around his neck to pull him down, kissing his lips

“well i got my reward, didn’t i?”

he smirks

sneaky little shit.

iwaizumi hajime - words of affirmation

it’s one of those days again.

those days where your ugly thoughts are winning over you and swallowing you whole, leaving you in a state of insecurity about yourself and your relationship with other people

it’s crazy how doubt can take over those positive thoughts you’ve tried to build over the months, only for it to be ruined by some evil monster inside your head that’s so against seeing you happy— there’s only so much you can do and you hate to think that it has succeeded.

but then iwaizumi hajime is always there to protect you.

he becomes your personal shield from all those monsters with just his words, his words that have seems to always save you from getting those thoughts into your head

“darling, is there something wrong?” hajime asks, his hand coming up to caress your cheek, worry evident on his face

how come he always knows even when you don’t say anything?

you wonder how, when it’s actually the silence that concerns him, he knows that you love making small talks with him just as he loves hearing your voice when you ramble about your day

it has become a part of your routine at this point, whether it's about your annoying professors, how you almost tripped over something, and even just about a cute dog you saw for two seconds on the street

and he's also powerhouse setter for god's sake, he's always perceptive and is quick when it comes to body languages and whatever happens around him

“it’s nothing, haj, i'm fine. just a little bit tired from school.” you whisper as you tiptoe to give him a kiss but instead, a gasp is forced out of you as he carries you bridal style into to the bedroom

hajime kicks through the door, still rubbing circles on your leg. he knows you're not feeling good and just don't wanna be a "hindrance", but to him, nothing and no one is more important than you

and you know this, but those ugly thoughts just disagrees and wants you to be miserable about every little thing. you hate that no matter what you do, they still manage push their way in and ruin your day

hajimes kisses your forehead and the tip of your nose lightly, "i don't wanna force you to talk about it if you're not ready just yet but remember that i'm all ears, okay? i love you so much, baby, you're perfect for me, always and whatever's bothering you is our problem, mhm?"

he must be an angel— you think, he's always patient with you and doesn't belittle you for having your moments of weaknesses that he says is a disguise of strength and that you being there with him despite everything makes you one of the bravest people out there

perhaps, he is — and you're one lucky person to be able to call him yours.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu x you #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu!!#haikyuu fics #iwaizumi fluff #iwaizumi imagines #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi scenarios #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi x y/n #kuroo x y/n #kuroo x you #kuroo scenarios #kuroo imagines #kuroo x reader

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skarloeyspa · 9 months

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dunky and rust! took me forever but details below

Rusty:

*clutches fists at overalls costing $1.29 in the 50s

ANYWAY uhm Rusty came to the SR in 1957 so I took some inspiration from both 50s and 60s clothing but mostly 50s

But yeah like all the other freethinkers🤖 in this community i subscribe to Rusty being nonbiney (altho they're mostly masc presenting)

I want to say that Rusty's jumpsuit is based off women's workwear but like. women's workwear in the 50's was based off men's workwear so what difference does it make😭

Ripped their boots straight from the bottom right of the catalog here so hehe

Their nameplate is specifically very simple and non-glossy to designate them as a maintenance worker as opposed to for passenger service

I don't. um. intend for Rusty to be that much taller than overhaul 2 loey. they're probably around the same height at best and Rusty is def a bit shorter than overhaul 3 loey

also they're wearing a flat cap. i don't like drawing them but it made the most sense so,

i don't know if they had binders in the 50s? If they didn't then um. I'm sure there was some kind of equivalent shapewear-

Duncan:

this guy was such a damn pain to design for oml

i really need to find a way to save my ref pics when i make my pencil sketches so i can add them to these posts when im done djfdjbfk

i gave duncan beeeaaauuuttifull lushious long blonde locks💅because he's got a long ass funnel HAHAHAH

he's tall. but he's also lanky. he's like a very tall twink sorta. like i get that he's strong cuz he worked at a factory but bro cannot retain muscle like. he's sticks.

oh and also blue eyes because of douglas. yyyyeah

anyway you might be wondering. capy what the hell is that ugly ass band of pattern across his chest

well that was my BIG BRAIN moment.

starting around like the 19th century people would take the fabric used to make sacks for shipping dried goods like animal feed and flour, and turn that fabric into clothing

this originated in more rural communities but became more widespread during world war I and especially world war II with rationing and whatnot. basically when companies noticed people wearing their sacks they began printing patterns onto their sacks for this explicit purpose (cuz you know. marketing)

before arriving to Sodor, duncan worked in a factory. you know who else produces dried goods?? factories!!!

around the time he arrived to sodor was also when American rock and roll was really influencing British youth, particularly with the rise of teddy boys and then the rockers (which is from my understanding, greasers but British). So around the time Duncan was heading to Sodor there was already an air of rebellion among the UK's youth

I took particular inspiration from Rockabilly based on its noted influence on British popular culture, which from what I've seen, adopts some more flashy elements to their clothing in contrast to the traditional suit and dress. I was this close to making duncan wear a bowling shirt

the kerchief is also because of this hehe

so in a moment of genius/delusion, i thought. what if while working at the factory, duncan saw the trends of people using their feed sacks as clothing fabric, and stole a bag or two for himself so he could sew on a strip of the fabric onto his work shirts because he's, ya know, mr. rock n roll

yes i did all that just for a stripe of fabric on his chest i am VERY happy with this choice

btw here's the exact pattern i used (i just ripped it off the internet)

ok that's it thank you for reading through my rambling once again!! lowkey i want to post lil western next but also. i talked abt making rws/formal uniforms for the SR crew so. we'll see what happens next lol

#ttte rusty #ttte duncan #ttte #ttte humanized #wow i typed a lot for duncan #except most of it was just exposition hahaaa #NOW I CAN DRAW THEM INTERACTING YIPPPEEEEEE #pictures in the reception hall #capy posting

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maxwell-grant · 6 months

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hi, can you elaborate on that monk-the thing-hank mccoy parallel you mentioned? im curious

(Follow-up to this post)

I certainly don't think anybody past Lee and Kirby took Monk as a factor when writing Ben and Hank, but the fact is that they were both conceived pulling from the same source character in directly opposite ways, and they've been shooting off further apart ever since, with Ben becoming more and more of a kind, inspiring, positive figure among superheroes, and Hank McCoy has been non-stop leapfrogging into greater heights of irredeemable jackassery and evil, both still carrying most of those traits still. You can kinda map them out like this:

He was Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Blodgett Mayfair, but he heard the full name so seldom he had about forgotten what it sounded like.

To give a brief a crash course on Monk, I assume most of you are at least passingly familiar that Doc Savage's crew had an ape guy in it. That's him. Artistic depictions vary on this a lot but in-text, Monk Mayfair is described as maybe the ugliest man in the world, a "dwarf King Kong" whose face makes babies cry, so apelike that he even runs faster when on all fours. Like the rest of the Five, he's driven by a desire for adventure and excitement and deep loyalty to Doc Savage. If one of the heroes kills a guy in a Doc Savage novel, it's probably going to be him, and he is kind of a colossal horndog, which didn't carry over to those two (all of the Fabulous Five - sans Long Tom who is an outspoken misogynist - make a heterosexual pony show out of ogling and competing for the women Doc ignores, Monk first and foremost among them). He lives for a good fight and frequently and constantly bickers with the lawyer Ham, they have that sort of fight-fight-snark-snark-brotherly-bond dynamic and they probably codified it in their own right.

And Monk is also one of the top chemists in the country, said to be "the Houdini of test tubes", his head fit to burst with chemical knowledge, and he's responsible for much of Doc's gadgetry. And even though his own teammates get in on insulting his intelligence and looks (and he barbs back as well, and even defies Doc more directly than the others rarely), he isn't remotely stupid. That is kinda the point, in fact, that he constantly invites you to look down on and underestimate the ugly gorilla man and forget the fact that he can memorize intricate formulas and rip your arms off in the same breath he uses to bicker and insult his companions, and particularly his smart-mouthed rival within the group, all in good fun. And within the Fabulous Five-setup that inspires the Fantastic Four and Lee and Kirby's mutual interest for Doc Savage stories showing through, crucial to Ben Grimm's early character is that he hits many of these same notes, but all is very much not always in good fun.

Of the six men present, Monk's skin alone bore scars. The skin of the others held no marks of their adventurous past, thanks to Doc's uncanny skill in causing wounds to heal without leaving scars. But not Monk.

His tough, rusty iron hide was so marked with gray scars that it looked as if a flock of chickens with gray−chalk feet had paraded on him. This was because Monk refused to let Doc treat him. Monk gloried in his tough looks. - The Man of Bronze

Monk was never satisfied unless picking on somebody, or being picked on in turn.

The Thing initially is what happens when being the strong, physically deformed and scarred coarse bruiser who pals around big shot scientists is a set-up played for tension and drama moreso than comedy, as said man is tormented and bitter over his condition, bordering on murderously angry liability and downright jackass. Ben is constantly losing his temper and smashing things, constantly breaking off the team, his initial spats with Johnny are frequent and not very lighthearted, and constantly put a strain on the team and Reed's ability to hold them together. It's deeply important to his character arc that he starts this way and that him lightening up and growing more into his heroic role is as much about him adapting as it's about him rediscovering himself in a new form.

(And while not as pronounced as Beast and Monk's scientific brains, Ben too is supposed to be smarter and more intelectually capable than he appears or credits himself for - he frequently tells himself that he's nothing without strength and that he's just a big dumb bruiser, he gets that whole, too dumb to collapse and too ugly to die and all that, but every now and then Reed reminds us that he isn't so easily fooled by Ben's persona)

Ben spends so much of those early issues deeply angry at Reed Richards for fully justified reasons and entirely consumed by self-loathing, convinced he isn't something anyone would want to be or be with, and it makes all of his baby steps towards becoming Ben Grimm as we know him meaningful. Every step and set back and rising above himself on his journey as Ben Grimm the hero, Ben Grimm the guy who becomes the archetypal lovable curmudgeon bruiser of comics in his own right, the guy who's going to become not just the invaluable heroic core of the Four, but a beloved and respected pillar of the superhero community in his own right, The Idol O'Millions. If I start talking about Ben Grimm I get emotional and it feels cheap to pretend like some jerk who would never cut it on Yancy Street, and probably doesn't even HAVE an Aunt Petunia, belongs in the same conversation, but he is in Ben's DNA, and the DNA he shares with the guy who made the wildest leap possible in the opposite direction.

Monk emitted a great howl. Monk's fights were always noisy, unless there was a reason for them to be quiet. Like a gladiator of old, Monk fought best when the racket was loudest.

"It'll take a good fight to get me feelin' like a human being again!"

Where as Hank McCoy initially almost feels like a kid-friendly do-over of Monk, who pushes the contrast further: his ape traits are explicit biological mutation superpowers, but he isn't just an expert chemist, he's a comically verbose super genius who talks like Littlejohn (the Fabulous Five member who spouts off sesquipedalianisms), but still cartwheels around to smash bad guys with gorilla fighting skills and roughhouses with resident rival-friend Iceman. The pop culture image of Beast is/was that of a friendly, sartorial professor who only looked monstrous, but had none of the darkness or conflict that defined much of the other X-Men, and had a fairly squeaky-clean image.

Which might be the biggest reason why his character took enough dark turns that he wound up becoming a gleefully sadistic spymaster mad scientist who runs genocide programs in Latin America "for the sake of mutantkind". Maybe it just boils down to writers overcorrecting, building off what was already there in prior storylines. Dark Beast, the Legacy Virus, the Inhumans War, etc. Maybe some of it was just bound to come up sooner or later.

The extent of Beast's development and the many, many places where the character took these turns is something this article by David Bowen goes into, and how much of it might even just be where the character was always heading, maybe ever since he decided pulling a Jekyll & Hyde and transforming himself into something new so he could live a new carefree life crossed his mind as a good idea. Maybe you can't play Mr. Hyde and pretend you're only kidding.

I sat in the sun on a bench; the animal within me licking the chops of memory; the spiritual side a little drowsed, promising subsequent penitence, but not yet moved to begin. After all, I reflected, I was like my neighbours.

I began to be aware of a change in the temper of my thoughts, a greater boldness, a contempt of danger, a solution of the bonds of obligation.

I looked down; the hand that lay on my knee was corded and hairy.

I was once more Edward Hyde.

And yes, every major X-Men character has rep sheets that put supervillains to shame and consists of at least one or five completely infedensible things, sure, but Hank's has clearly crossed to a level of villainy that can't really be walked back on, in the name of good intentions. In the name of loyalty, in the name of scientific reasoning.

And while Monk has never gone anywhere near as monstrous and never went so far as to be an outright villain, we can in fact trace a line between Beast's own loyalty-driven monstrousness, and Monk Mayfair doing things like threatening to carve up crooks if Doc lets him, chasing down and machine-gunning fleeing henchmen, and cutting off a guy's parachute and laughing off his death.

All of the Fabulous Five can be bastards to varying degrees sometimes and this mean streak of Monk's has been excised from pretty much all of his comics appearences that have played the character much closer to Ben Grimm, which is the smart thing to do and, really he should get a pass for ripping off Ben since Ben kinda ripped him off first. But maybe that mean streak, that potential Mr Hyde darkness of the genius chained to the ape, never really went away, and it just passed along to the next in line.

"Tell him I'll pull his ears off an' feed 'em to him if he don't come clean!" Monk suggested. Doc, anxious himself to note the effect of torture threats on the Mayan, repeated Monk's remarks - The Man of Bronze

Monk picked up a big, gleaming cutlass. He whetted it suggestively on a soggy shoe sole, then whacked an ear off a papier-mâché likeness of a bearded pirate, just to show Kar's men how it might go.

"Only say the word, Doc!" He slanted a great arm at a wizened fellow who looked the most cowardly of the lot. "I'll start on the little one, there!" - The Land of Terror

Monk did three or four things very violently, and finally ended with the long knife in his possession. "I'm gonna cut your heads off," Monk told his foes. Mathis raced for the cabin door. Monk watched him come but made no effort to stop him. Mathis gained the door, struggled to open it. He was not more than a long arm reach from Monk, who could have stopped him easily. Monk made no effort to stop him. He did reach out and thrust the long knife to the hilt into Mathis's parachute pack. Mathis, knowing nothing of the knife in the 'chute pack, jumped gleefully out into space.

Monk was looking out of the window. He drew back and grinned at Doc. "He made quite a splash," Monk said. "Who?" "Mathis. For some reason or other his parachute didn't open." Blumbeck yelled, "No wonder! You stuck a knife in the parachute!" "I don't remember doing that," Monk said innocently. -The Laugh of Death

#replies tag #pulp heroes #superheroes #doc savage #monk #monk mayfair #x-men #beast #hank mccoy #fantastic four #ben grimm #the thing #marvel #marvel comics

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